


The Sound of Pulling Heaven Down

by Pellaaearien



Series: In Other Words [5]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Chloe Decker knows, Domestic Deckerstar, Established Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, F/M, No amenda, No marclo, Powercouple Deckerstar, Season 3, Season 3 rewrite, What SHOULD have happened in S3, fixit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-04-29 00:58:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14461659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pellaaearien/pseuds/Pellaaearien
Summary: Chloe thought she was starting to get a handle on being in a relationship with the Devil and the supernatural insanity her life had become. But after Lucifer comes back from the desert with wings, everything changes. Is Lucifer’s Father truly to blame? And with a new Lieutenant on the scene who seems to be more than he appears, Chloe and Lucifer must rely on each other more than ever.





	1. Far away from here

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go with the season three rewrite! This is going to be a (mostly) full rewrite, so expect to see all the major episodes represented. Thanks so much for reading! 
> 
> As always, major thanks to wollfgang and Ariaadagio for the beta read <3 Couldn't do it without you!
> 
> Without further ado, on to season three!

“Linda, how are you doing?” Chloe was a woman on a mission, but the sight of her friend swathed in bandages made it easy to focus on her.

“Much better, actually,” Linda answered. She certainly _sounded_ cheerful. “Most of the injuries were superficial. They’re talking about releasing me tomorrow.”

“That’s great news!” Chloe smiled at her, trying to ease into her next question as casually as she could. “Hey, did Lucifer say anything… strange to you when he visited last night?”

From the way Linda’s eyes narrowed, Chloe hadn’t been successful at achieving an unaffected tone. “Why?” Linda said. “Has something happened?”

Chloe bit her lip, rethinking the entire thing. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with this. You need to focus on getting better.”

“Chloe, just tell me,” Linda demanded.

Chloe took a deep breath. “Lucifer didn’t come over last night. He said he was going to. And he hasn’t been answering his phone.”

Linda’s face was carefully neutral. “It’s only been a day…” she began, but Chloe was already shaking her head, having anticipated this reaction.

“This is different,” she said. “He as good as promised he’d come. And he - he _promised_. After Candy. He promised he’d answer his phone.”

“He doesn’t break promises,” Linda mused. Chloe nodded. “Well, I’m sorry, Chloe, but I’m afraid I can’t help you. He didn’t say anything out of the ordinary yesterday.”

Chloe nodded again. “Thanks, Linda. I should let you get some rest.” They spoke for a little while longer, but Chloe’s concern for Lucifer’s whereabouts was distracting her.

“Chloe,” Linda said at last, “go find Lucifer. I’m glad to see you’re so concerned about him. I’m going to be fine.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” Chloe said, ashamed at her inability to focus.

“Don’t be.” Linda had on her most reassuring tone. “But I’m sure he’s okay. He’s the Devil. Not much in the universe more powerful than he is. One less, now, after…” The doctor looked profoundly relieved. Chloe couldn’t blame her. “I mean, what could do something to him?”

“I don’t know,” Chloe answered honestly. “That’s what worries me.”

“I hope you find him.” Linda was sincere, and Chloe couldn’t have been more grateful for Linda’s empathy.

“Yeah,” Chloe said, sighing. “Me too.”

She left the hospital, thinking about next steps. She’d waited up all night for Lucifer. When he hadn’t shown, her worry had grown exponentially, even more so when his phone went straight to voicemail. She’d thought maybe he just wanted time alone to grieve, but the lack of response convinced her something more serious was going on. Especially the longer she went without an answer.

She’d come home from the pier to a message from Maze saying she was on a hunt. Chloe wasn’t surprised - it was how the demon dealt with emotions. But it meant Maze wasn’t picking up her phone either, and probably wouldn’t be back in time to help find Lucifer.

After a brief internal struggle, she drove over to Lux. She trusted Lucifer completely and didn’t believe he was avoiding her. But if he really was missing, it was prudent for her to collect all the evidence she could, and that meant his penthouse couldn’t be ignored.

When she entered the bar, the sight of the splintered piano froze her in her tracks. She couldn’t help but see it as evidence that something had happened to Lucifer, though nothing else was out of place. She called the elevator with apprehension, fearing what she might find.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Lucifer’s pristine front room, piano still very much intact, sunlight streaming through the windows and erasing the old memory of the apartment shrouded in unusual darkness. There was also a distinct lack of white sheets in evidence, which she registered with a rush of relief, followed by a wave of anger at that relief. She knew better than that. But it seemed like her subconscious had other ideas.

Shoving all such thoughts aside, she wandered from room to room, unable to shake the feeling that she was invading Lucifer’s privacy, even though he’d never once given an indication that he cared a whit for it.

An empty tumbler left out on the bar gave her a pang, but it was the only sign that the place had been inhabited more recently than their night together. In the bedroom, he’d thrown the duvet over the evidence of their lovemaking. The sight had made her blush at the time. She lingered for a moment, fancying she could still smell their mingled scents, before she pushed on, chiding herself for foolishness.

The wardrobe room (she hesitated to call it a closet), media room, study, and library were all likewise silent and undisturbed. Without Lucifer’s presence breathing life into the space, his penthouse resembled nothing so much as a luxurious mausoleum.

Reaching the end of her fruitless search, Chloe beat a hasty retreat. The oppressive atmosphere was getting to her. She blamed stress.

She went to the precinct and tried to focus on work, but there were still no active cases, and her thoughts kept drifting to her absent partner. Why couldn’t they have a single moment together that wasn’t overshadowed by some new crisis?

Dan kept glancing over at her, and finally she’d had enough. She seized her chance while he was in the break room getting a coffee.

“Dan, quit staring at me,” she hissed, causing him to jump. “If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

Dan swallowed. “So… you and Lucifer?” he asked, clearly striving for nonchalance.

Chloe nodded, giving nothing away. “Yup. Me and Lucifer.”

Dan blew out his breath in a big gust. “Damn. That’s… I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but _why_? Why _now_? You were so against it for so long…”

Chloe knew he meant well but she felt herself bristling nonetheless.

“He opened up to me, Dan,” she said, a bit short. “He wasn’t holding things back anymore. I understand him so much better than I did before, and he trusted me with that. So yeah, I stopped fighting it.”

“Wow,” Dan said, and Chloe petulantly wanted to counter with a question about Charlotte but suppressed the impulse. “None of my business, I know, but… I hope you know what you’re doing, Chlo.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I do, and you’re right, it’s none of your business.”

Dan raised his hands in surrender. “All right. Where is Lucifer, anyway?”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s a good question, actually,” she said, forcing herself to stay calm. “I haven’t been able to get a hold of him all day.”

Dan gave her a dubious look, but wisely refrained from commenting. “Well, do you want me to call Amenadiel? Maybe he knows something.”

Excitement flooded Chloe at the solid lead. “Yeah, thanks.” Then she paused. “Hang on. Why do you have Amenadiel’s number?”

To her surprise, Dan looked flustered. “Oh, er… We went for a beer once, while you were at the party, with-” He cut himself off.

Chloe nodded, not wanting to push him further. “Really, Dan, that’d be great. Thank you.”

Dan made the call, while Chloe mentally prepared herself for the upcoming conversation. She hadn’t had to talk to Amenadiel since she’d discovered the truth and was at a bit of a loss. How exactly did one interact with the angel responsible for one’s creation? She’d wondered that before, back at the breakfast bar, and wasn’t any closer to a resolution.

She hadn’t come to a decision by the time Amenadiel arrived at the precinct, succeeding only in making herself more anxious.

“Daniel tells me you’re having trouble getting a hold of Lucifer?” Amenadiel’s voice made Chloe jump at her desk. His tone was pleasant - friendly even - but Chloe couldn’t stop staring at him, wide-eyed. The angel looked nonplussed. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

 _Be not afraid_. Shaking herself, she forced a smile.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, standing quickly. “Here, let’s go talk somewhere else.” She turned her back on Amenadiel so she wouldn’t have to see him, and led the way to one of the smaller conference rooms, hoping he was following. She heard the sound of him closing the door behind him and took a deep breath, turning to face him. The angel waited, standing at quiet attention, one eyebrow slightly raised in perplexity at her behaviour.

The first time she’d met him he’d been wearing a sharp three-piece suit and a superior expression. Now he was wearing a casual off-green sweater, but didn’t look any more comfortable in it than he had in the suit.

She took another deep breath, focusing on her objective. “Yeah. So Lucifer’s not picking up his phone, I wondered if you had any idea where he might be.”

Amenadiel sighed. “Actually, I’ve been trying to get a hold of him myself. He’s not responding to my texts. The last one I got was a string of images with no words. He hasn’t explained what it means.”

Chloe barely kept herself from snatching his phone away. “When did he send that message, if you don’t mind my asking?” With another look, Amenadiel passed the phone over. Chloe scanned the conversation. She shook her head at the message Lucifer had sent, finding herself smiling despite the situation. Count on Lucifer to avoid difficult topics. The unanswered replies Amenadiel had sent matched her own increasing worry and frustration. The timestamp put the message tentatively around the time Lucifer was at the hospital with Linda. Chloe’s interest spiked.

“This could be his most recent message! Maybe he only used emojis because he knew he was being watched…”

“Hang on a minute, Chloe.” Amenadiel’s voice broke into her thoughts. She was standing much closer to him than she’d realized. She handed the phone back, retreating as casually as possible. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Lucifer likes to disappear from time to time…”

Again, Chloe shook her head, like she had with Linda. “I know that. But he hasn’t been responding to my calls either. I made him promise after he came back from Vegas that he’d at least pick up once. Which he hasn’t, so something must have happened to him.”

The angel’s eyes widened briefly, but he tried to play it off. “So, you think he’s in danger because he’s not keeping his promise? We are talking about my brother, right?” he said in a dismissive voice, and Chloe realized something that her anxiety had overshadowed before. Amenadiel didn’t know that she knew.

“Yeah, your brother, _the Devil_ ,” she said, “always keeps his word.”

Amenadiel adopted a patient expression. “Chloe, we’ve been through this before. He only _says_ things like he’s the Devil, and doesn’t lie. It’s kind of you to indulge his fantasy but you don’t have to keep up the pretense with me.”

Chloe was getting annoyed now. She didn’t have time for this.

“Amenadiel, you can stop pretending, I know the truth. Lucifer showed me his face. He told me everything.”

She could practically see Amenadiel’s mind whirring as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. Then he snapped back to his poker face, and Chloe wanted to groan.

“That was a mask…” he began.

Chloe stamped her foot. “No, dammit! He _showed_ me,” she said sharply. “I was staring right at him and his face changed! I’m a homicide cop, but seeing that… it _redefines_ fear.” She tried not to think about it too much but the image was always in the back of her mind. “Lucifer’s the Devil, and you’re an angel who can slow time. Like you did yesterday.”

“Don’t be ridiculous-” Amenadiel tried again, looking worried, but Chloe barreled on.

“No, _ridiculous_ is that bullshit story you tried to sell me with the bulletproof vest and blood packs. I know what those things look like, because, y’know, _cop_ ,” she gestured to herself, “and I know for a fact he wasn’t wearing either. And if he _was_ pretending to be the Devil - which he wasn’t, because he actually is - why bother adding blood packs in the first place? Doesn’t exactly help sell the whole invulnerability angle.”

Amenadiel was staring at her, but Chloe wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

“Lucifer used the Flaming Sword to cut a hole in space and time and give your mother her own universe,” she said succinctly. “That’s what his message means.” She shot him a pointed look. “Real enough for you?”

Amenadiel’s mouth dropped open. Chloe was far gone enough in her anger that she’d forgotten to be in awe of him, instead reveling in his discomfort.

“He… he really did tell you,” the angel breathed. “I don’t believe it.” Then he blinked, as the rest of Chloe’s words registered. “Mom’s gone?”

All of the anger drained out of her, and she nodded mutely. “I’m so sorry, Amenadiel,” she said. She vividly remembered comforting Lucifer with his face buried in her shoulder, and he’d at least gotten a chance to say goodbye. She wanted to give Amenadiel a moment, but the memory only made her more intent on finding Lucifer.

“So you can’t get a hold of him either, huh?” she asked, realizing only then, as her heart sank into her knees, how much hope she’d been pinning on Amenadiel.

Amenadiel collapsed against the table, looking lost. “What? No, that message was the last I heard from him.”

Chloe’s fists clenched. “Any idea of where he might be?” She thought of her earlier theory, that he’d texted in emojis because he’d known he was being watched. But if that was the case, why not a cry for help?

He shook his head slowly, and she regretted translating the message for him, if it meant he was going to be this useless. It was petty of her, but she needed to know that Lucifer was okay.

“If it wasn’t for… y’know, Mom, I wouldn’t think anything of it.” He shrugged. “Have you checked his penthouse?”

Chloe sighed heavily. “Yeah. There was nothing there. The piano in the bar was smashed to pieces though.”

Amenadiel winced. “That was us. Well… Mom, actually.”

He looked downcast, and Chloe did her best to keep them moving forward. “There must be something else going on,” she said. She bit her lip, regarding him. “I thought he was only vulnerable around me. What else could have done something to him?” Her heart stuttered at the thought, but she was a cop. She could handle this.

Amenadiel blinked rapidly. “Well, another angel, or a demon, but right now there’s just Lucifer, me, and Maze on Earth.”

“Are you sure about that?” Chloe questioned, and Amenadiel spread his hands, looking helpless.

“Reasonably, but there’s always the possibility that another Celestial could have hidden from us.”

Chloe let out a groan of frustration. She needed a solid lead. “I need the surveillance footage from the hospital. Maybe that’ll give us a clue.” She started out the door, but Amenadiel reached out a hand to stop her.

“Chloe.” She turned to look back at him, eyebrow raised. “I just wanted to say, I’m impressed by how well you’re taking this. The fact that you would stick by my brother even after he told you…” Amenadiel smiled slightly. “It says a lot about you. Thank you.”

Chloe inclined her head. “Well, maybe you could mention that to Lucifer, because ever since he found out that you literally _created_ me, he’s been convinced everything I feel is a manipulation, and somebody else should field that for a change.” Amenadiel released her, looking stunned, and she stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Now, I’ve had a hell of a week - literally - and I would like to have a day, just one, where no crazy supernatural shit happens, and I can take a breath and figure out what it all means. But to do that, I need Lucifer. So are you going to help me or not?”

Amenadiel nodded, cowed, and followed her out of the room. Chloe tried to ignore him as she made a very firmly worded call to the hospital. Finally, she was given permission to view the footage - at the hospital, under supervision. Desperate, she agreed to the terms and dragged Amenadiel along with her, hoping he’d be able to provide more insight than he had so far.

The angel was quiet during the drive, giving her time alone with her own thoughts. Lucifer had gone through Hell twice to save her life. The least she could do was return the favour. She was a detective, after all. And, even after only twelve hours, she _missed_ him. His brother’s presence in his habitual place by her side only served to remind her of his continued absence. Amenadiel looked over at her.

“Chloe, Lucifer’s the Devil,” he said in a soothing tone. “He can take care of himself. He's been doing it since time immemorial.”

Chloe just scowled, clutching the wheel tighter, not looking away from the road. “Yeah, well, now he doesn't have to,” she snapped, and Amenadiel backed off again.

 _He doesn't have to,_ she repeated to herself. _He's got me_.

*

At the hospital, they were greeted by a very weary nurse who showed them to the surveillance room and called up the footage, stepping back with his arms folded. Chloe thanked him with a nod, already focused on her task.

She stared intently at the screen, taking in every detail. Her heart gave a pang as she saw Lucifer emerge, texting on his phone. Even on the grainy footage, he was instantly recognizable by his trademark gait. Just as he walked out of frame, there was a flurry of movement.

“What was that?” Chloe asked sharply, rewinding the recording and pausing. If she squinted, she could just make out an arm. Maybe a shoulder… “Anything?” She turned to Amenadiel, already knowing the answer.

The angel stared at the image for another moment, then shook his head apologetically. “Nothing looks familiar. I’m sorry, Chloe.”

Chloe sighed, fisting her hands in her hair, trying to work past the disappointment.

“Whoever did this was good. They knew exactly where the range of the camera was.” While it was definitely a clue, it was also the opposite of comforting. She sighed. “Shit.” Why couldn’t anything be simple?

She thanked the nurse, who hurried off almost immediately, and led Amenadiel outside.

“What’s next?” he asked.

Chloe was thinking hard. The cameras had been her best hope for a lead. “I want to look around the area where it happened. Maybe there’ll be something.”

It was a long shot; if they were good enough to nab Lucifer in a blind spot, they were good enough not to leave evidence behind, but she had to check.

She and Amenadiel both did a wide sweep of the area around the entrance to the parking lot. The angel was very patient, keeping at it with her well past the point of sense, but eventually Chloe was forced to admit defeat. There was nothing here.

She stood up straight, hands fisted at her sides, unable to shake the thought that she was standing in the last spot she knew Lucifer had been.

“Chloe.” Amenadiel came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve done all you can. I’m sure Lucifer is fine. He’ll be back before you know it.”

Chloe nodded slowly, not convinced in the slightest. It was almost worse now that she knew something _had_ happened to him, but not _what_.

Amenadiel gave her what he clearly intended to be a reassuring smile. “Go home,” he said. “If I know my brother, the first thing he’ll do is come find you.”

But Chloe couldn’t stand the thought of just sitting uselessly at home. She drove back to the precinct and put out a BOLO for Lucifer, not quite able to believe this was really happening. Dan and Ella shot her sympathetic looks, but Chloe didn’t want to talk about it anymore and avoided them both, instead throwing herself into the preparations for the new lieutenant, working herself into more of a frenzy until finally Dan had to take her aside.

“Go home, Chlo,” he told her, kind but firm. “Spend some time with Trix. Try to relax. There’s nothing else you can do here. I’ll call you the instant we get a hit.”

Chloe went grudgingly. She picked Trixie up from school and spent the rest of the day scouring the apartment to within an inch of its life, while Trixie did her best to stay out of the way.

If Chloe had thought the previous night had been the longest night of her life, it was nothing compared to this. She stared at the TV without seeing anything on it as she demolished a bottle of wine. Her phone was in her hand, with the volume up as high as it would go, and yet she still checked it every few seconds as though there were a chance something other than the time could have changed. If she slept at all it was in snatches.

By the time morning dawned, Chloe was beside herself. Unable to sit still, she paced the apartment until it was time to take Trixie to school. She was about ready to start cold calling anyone who had ever been associated with Lucifer. It was a terrible idea, but she needed to do _something_ or she would drive herself crazy.

Her phone rang as she was heading back from dropping Trixie off; it was Dan. She picked up almost before the first ring finished.

“ _We got a hit_ ,” he said without preamble. “ _Out in the desert. Someone pinged your badge number. It’s Lucifer.”_

 _Desert… Lucifer…_ She heard the words through a haze of relief.

“ _They said they were bringing him home. He might be there already.”_

“Thanks, Dan,” she said, voice weak with emotion. She pulled an illegal U-turn as she hung up, heading for the strip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be a bit of a longer story, so let's play a game to start things off! ~~The first person who comments with the song and artist the title (and chapter) was taken from gets a sneak peek of the next chapter!~~ **youcantmakeme is the winner! Check their comment for the promised snippet!**


	2. Knock me out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited, and it feels so good.

For the second time in recent memory, Chloe trembled as she called the elevator to Lucifer’s apartment, though this time for a very different reason. She all but forced her way through the doors, already scanning the room for Lucifer. When he wasn’t immediately visible, she called out, unable to take any more.

“Lucifer! _Lucifer!_ ”

He emerged from around a corner, bare-chested, with a shirt in his hand. His eyes widened. “Chloe?”

Tears stung her eyes, and she flung herself at him, barely able to keep a lid on her sobs. 

“Oh God,” she said without thinking, past the lump in her throat. “I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried…”

“Well, yes, I’m fairly certain He had something to do with it,” Lucifer murmured, and Chloe shook her head and laughed, burrowing closer to his chest. One thing at a time. He was here. Everything else could wait. 

His arms came around her, holding her tight without any of his usual hesitancy, and she wondered what he’d been through. 

“I was just on my way to find you,” he told her quietly. “How long has it been?”

“Two days,” she told him, voice wavering. “I’ve been worried sick, what happened to you?” Lucifer’s skin felt like paper beneath her hands. Pulling back, she noticed the abrasions marring his body. His hair was windblown and coated with dust. 

“What happened?” she repeated, breathless. Then another thought struck her before Lucifer had a chance to respond. “Do I need to leave, so you can heal?” She bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t want to let Lucifer out of her sight again, not for an instant. But she refused to have him in pain on her account.

“Stay,” Lucifer said in a raw voice, catching her wrist. “It’s already mostly healed anyway.” 

Chloe gulped. _This_ was an improvement? 

Then her mom-instinct took over. “C’mon, let’s get you into bed,” she urged, pushing him along when he resisted, which was when she saw his back.

“Lucifer.” She’d so recently become intimately familiar with his scars that their absence felt strange and wrong. “What happened to…?” She raised a hand and laid it against the expanse of unblemished skin without thinking. 

Almost before she could blink, _wings_ unfurled on either side of him with a great rush of air, huge and shimmering white and…

“ _Gorgeous_ ,” Chloe breathed, stumbling a few involuntary steps backward. It was what she’d said about the fakes at the auction, but now with the real ones in front of her there was truly no comparison. They were spun from starlight and outshone the tawdry imitations like the sun to a candle, such that the memory almost struck her as an insult. They arched out from Lucifer’s shoulders like they belonged there, like she’d never noticed how incomplete he’d been without them. They were the most beautiful things she’d ever seen.

Lucifer whirled, his eyes dark and wild, wings rearing behind him. Chloe slowly raised her hands, aware she’d crossed a line, like she had the first time she’d gone to touch his scars. 

“Sorry,” she whispered, wondering why she felt like she had to catch her breath. “I didn’t mean to.”

After a moment, he came back to himself with a grimace, shoulders slumping, his wings now trailing dejectedly.

“Right. Well, as you can see, they’re back,” he said. Chloe just stared.

“Wha-?” She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say. Lucifer sighed. 

“I was on my way from the hospital to see you the other night,” he began. “Someone - or something - knocked me out, and I woke up in the desert. With _these_.” He cast a glance over his shoulder with distaste.

“Your… wings,” Chloe said slowly. She had so many questions but her brain seemed unwilling to catch up. “They’re _beautiful._ ”

“I hate them,” Lucifer said, low and heartfelt, and Chloe paused, realizing her hand was already outstretched to touch them, remembering that he’d chosen to cut them off in the first place. Now the haunted look in his eyes made sense. She changed tacks, putting her hand on his face instead, ignoring the wings in her peripheral vision with a concerted effort - the urge to keep staring at them was nearly overwhelming. 

“Why?” she asked him simply.

He frowned, folding them away with a roll of his shoulders, and Chloe tried not to feel bereaved. 

“They’re not me. They’re not mine,” he spat, the words tumbling over each other. “All they are is a link to Dad and everything He represents. I will _not_ be His plaything any longer.” He set his jaw. “I cut them off once, I can do it again.”

“ _No!_ ” Chloe exclaimed, and Lucifer looked at her in surprise, as though he’d forgotten she was there. 

He made a sound of displeasure. “Don’t tell me you’ve become enraptured by them, Detective,” he said. “I am _not_ an angel. I haven’t been for a long time now. And those _things_ represent all I despise.” A mad light filled his eyes as he regarded her. “In fact… you could do it for me.”

Horror roiled in her gut. “No. No way.” 

“Oh, it’s quite simple,” he said reassuringly, misunderstanding her refusal (intentionally, Chloe thought). “Just snip-snip, and Bob’s your uncle.” He indicated both shoulders. 

“I am _not_ going to hurt you like that, Lucifer,” she said. “I absolutely refuse.”

He blinked once, as if the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. “Oh.”

“I understand why they upset you,” she said, linking her arms around his neck. “Especially since you don’t understand why you have them now. But please. Don’t hurt yourself over them.”

Lucifer grimaced. “What, and let my Father win? I don’t think so. Trust me, Detective, they hurt me far more on my back than off of it.”

“Lucifer!” Chloe exclaimed, holding him tighter, truly frightened now. “Please!” She sought frantically for some way to convince him. “At least until we find out why this happened and who’s responsible, I’m begging you - don’t do anything reckless.”

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her again. “Fine,” he said with ill grace, and Chloe almost collapsed against him, so relieved she almost didn’t notice that he hadn’t actually promised not to cut them off. Still, she figured that was the best she was going to get, at least right now.

“ _Thank_ you,” Chloe said. “Now, let’s get you in bed and…”

“No time for that,” Lucifer said irritably, shrugging her off and starting to pull his shirt on with a wince. “We need to go examine the scene of the crime, get to the bottom of this!”

“You’re in no condition to go back out there!” Chloe protested. 

Lucifer scoffed. “I’m perfectly fine, Detective,” he said, wincing again. 

Chloe put a hand on his chest. “At least take a shower first, maybe let me put some aloe vera on you,” she begged. “You look like someone scoured you with sandpaper. And you’re drinking at least two glasses of water before we go.” Lucifer stared at her for a long moment.

“So demanding,” he said, but started to take his shirt back off. 

“I thought I’d lost you,” Chloe said quietly. “Please, let me take care of you.”

For the first time, his eyes softened. “All right,” he said at last, and Chloe smiled tremulously.

*

In the car while heading back out to the desert, it struck Chloe that they were finally together for the first time since everything had gone down with his Mother. She wanted to talk to him about it but knew that now wasn’t the right time. She slipped one of her hands over his as she drove, and he gave a tiny start, then settled, linking their fingers lightly together. 

Chloe bit her lip before giving him a soft smile. Whatever had happened out here had shaken his confidence. He had never been easy around her since the change in their relationship but now he seemed to be retreating into his shell, and she didn’t know how to pull him out of it.

“So you don’t know what happened, but you think your Dad’s behind it?” she asked instead. Lucifer frowned pensively.

“Clearly Dad’s behind it - who else could stick my wings back on? But the question is, who’s his emissary, and how were they able to render me unconscious? You weren’t nearby...” His voice trailed off in a question, and Chloe shook her head. 

“I was at the pier and then I went straight home.” 

Lucifer nodded. “Then they must have used some kind of celestial weapon.”

“I couldn’t see anything on the hospital footage,” Chloe supplied. “Whoever did this knew exactly where to take you.” Her heart clenched with remembered fear, an echo of the moment she’d realized their adversary had covered their tracks, and she had no hope for a lead. She hoped they would find something at the site but at least Lucifer was with her now.

Lucifer blinked. “You really did start looking for me,” he said in wonder. 

Chloe squeezed his hand. “Of course. Of course I did.” She pulled on a smile, chasing away the dark thoughts. “I knew something had to have happened. You never miss a chance to make fun of _Supernatural_.” 

Lucifer huffed a laugh, but his eyes still betrayed his surprise. 

Chloe wondered how long it would take for him to accept that she really cared.

“You should probably also call your brother,” she said as the thought occurred. 

“Amenadiel? Why?”

“I told him what happened because I wanted his help examining the footage, you should let him know you’re okay.”

Lucifer sighed but took Chloe’s phone when she offered it and used it to dial his brother. Chloe listened in unabashedly.

“No brother, it’s me. Lucifer... _Yes_ , yes, I’m unharmed… I was kidnapped. I’m with the Detective now.” He looked over at her and arched a brow. “She told you about that, did she? Yes, well, it’s a long story. I’ll explain later.” Unexpectedly, his voice softened. “I know.” 

Chloe blushed. Lucifer hung up, smirking at her, but thankfully he didn’t say anything further.

The trees became stunted and more sparse as they went, and soon they were in the desert proper. They switched sides so Lucifer could drive rather than having to direct her. Chloe took the opportunity to embrace him briefly as they passed each other. She had to constantly reassure herself that he was still here, and if it meant showering him in affection until he learned to accept it as his due, so much the better. Lucifer was silent as he settled into the driver’s seat, but a hint of a smile played about his lips, and Chloe was relieved to see it.

They drove a while longer in silence so Lucifer could focus on recognizing landmarks. Finally he judged they were close enough, and they got out and walked to avoid disturbing the crime scene. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Chloe said, raising her voice over the wind as she slipped on a pair of sunglasses, “how did you get back? I mean, did you… fly?”

Lucifer looked at her over the top of his own sunglasses before pushing them up his nose. “Of course not, Detective, that would just be playing into Dad’s hands. I cut my wings off for a _reason_. Using them would render that meaningless. No, I met an armored truck driver once I found the road, and I convinced him to lend me his vehicle. Luckily, the truck was stolen, so I encountered a very nice police unit almost immediately and convinced them to escort me back to Los Angeles.”

“Ah, so that’s why they pinged my badge number,” Chloe said, shading her eyes with her hand as she looked at him.

Lucifer nodded, scanning the area. “Indeed, I had to convince them that I was a civilian consultant. Admittedly I didn’t remember your badge number but providing them with your cup size seemed to suffice.”

Chloe stopped walking, staring incredulously at Lucifer’s back. “You told them my _cup size_?”

Lucifer turned, brow artfully arched, and Chloe didn’t need to see the eyes behind his glasses to know they were dancing mischievously. “Tall. Non-fat almond-milk latte with sugar-free caramel drizzle?” he asked, all innocence. “What did you think I meant?” He shook his head. “Mind out of the gutter, Detective!”

Chloe considered firing back, or pushing for the truth, but the cocky grin on his face was so welcome, and looked so fragile, that she just sighed, rolling her eyes. 

“So long as it brought you back to me,” she said instead, and Lucifer paused. She stepped to his side, slipping her hand into his, and squeezed. “So, anything look familiar?”

Lucifer shook himself slightly. “Yes, just over here, I think,” he said. 

It wasn’t long after that they found the body.

*

On their way back to the precinct, Chloe kept glancing over at Lucifer. His wind-tousled curls were sexy, yes, but she couldn’t shake the image of his body being left in the desert to rot. Would she ever have found him?

“Don’t fret, Detective,” Lucifer said at last, not quite achieving the exasperated tone he seemed to be striving for. “I know it’s hard for you to grasp because I’m not when I’m around you, but do try to remember I’m immortal?”

Chloe frowned. “Maybe, but you were still burnt to shit when you came back, and whoever did it was clearly able to incapacitate you, so I have a right to be concerned!” 

Lucifer let out a breath, blinking slowly. “You’re right. I’m… not used to this.”

“Well, get used to it,” Chloe said over the sound of her heart breaking. “I mean, come on: _Angelette_ Hotel? I thought for sure you’d say something about that.”

Lucifer frowned. “An excellent point, Detective. I’ve never met this Banales fellow but it’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Yup, and once we process the evidence, we’ll get to the bottom of this, Lucifer. I promise you.”

Lucifer gave her the first proper smile he’d worn since he’d come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again - anyone who can guess the name of the song that the chapter title is referencing gets a sneak peek at the next chapter! This one is a bit more ambiguous so I'll give you a hint and say it's a song that's on the Lucifer soundtrack!
> 
> _Edit: Sunsugar is our lucky winner! Check their comment for the snippet!_


	3. To live my life again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the new lieutenant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting after the news feels strange... I've been up & tweeting for almost 16 hours on my day off. I still have faith, and I hope this chapter might lift your spirits in some small way!

When they arrived at the precinct, however, they faced a new set of challenges. Lieutenant Marcus Pierce had arrived and introduced himself to the team in inimitable fashion. He made a beeline to where Lucifer was perched on the corner of Chloe’s desk.

“You must be Lucifer,” Pierce said, as though there could be any doubt.

“Morningstar. Pleasure,” Lucifer said, holding out his hand, charm in full effect. 

Marcus didn’t take it. “There was an investigation last year. We interviewed, what was it, ninety-two of your sexual partners? I think I’ll refrain from physical contact, if you don’t mind.”

Chloe’s head snapped up but Lucifer just laughed. 

“You don’t seem reckless,” Marcus said. “Narcissistic, hedonistic, that I see.”

_You’ve just met him!_ Chloe thought irritably, but restrained herself from coming to Lucifer’s defense. He could handle himself. The lieutenant wasn't incorrect, but he'd barely seen anything to base his assessment on yet.

“Well, thank you very much,” Lucifer replied.

“Not a compliment,” Marcus retorted, and Chloe nearly grinned. If he didn’t want to compliment Lucifer he should have chosen different words. “Your file’s as long as my Johnson.” 

“Oh. Quick read, then?” 

“Hardly,” Marcus said, and Chloe winced. He didn’t know Lucifer; she, on the other hand, knew exactly how quickly this would get out of hand if she didn’t intervene.

“Well I, for one, don’t need a file to ascertain you haven’t even had a snog in ages, have you?” Lucifer sneered, and Chloe decided things had gone far enough, barely hearing Marcus’ admitted “Accurate,” as she inserted herself between the two men. _Were they… flirting?_

“Okay! Hi,” she said, extending a hand. “ _I_ am Detective Decker.”

Marcus glanced at her. “Lucifer’s partner. I know.”

Chloe frowned. So far, Marcus struck her as incredibly unprofessional. Making dick jokes in the middle of the precinct and dismissing the trained officer in favour of a club owner? Still, she wanted to make a good first impression, so she forced down her irritation, painting on a smile.

“Yes, we are partners, he’s my civilian consultant.” She wondered if the stress she’d put on the word _civilian_ was too subtle. 

Apparently so, as with a brusque, “That’s what I said,” Marcus moved on. Chloe’s eyes narrowed as she watched him go. There was definitely something going on with him.

“Well? Isn’t he amazing?” Ella gushed, clearly not on the same wavelength. “We just had the best conversation over the doughnuts I brought for him - everyone, not just him,” she quickly corrected herself. “I’m not… kissing ass or anything.”

“Mm-hmm,” Dan said skeptically as he joined them. 

“Doughnuts for everyone!” Ella sang as she sidled away, leaving the rest of them to shake their heads. 

“Wow.” Dan was the only one who found anything to say.

Amenadiel chose that moment to arrive, and Chloe hid a smile. Clearly he’d been more worried about his brother than he’d let on. Lucifer took him aside to one of the conference rooms to talk, and Chloe very deliberately took one of the doughnuts that had obviously been originally intended for Pierce (Dan took two) before going to the lab to work with Ella as she ate it.

Maybe it was petty; it wasn’t Ella’s fault, after all, at least not entirely. But Chloe just didn’t want to see the kind-hearted Ella get run over by Pierce. The lieutenant had definitely started out on the wrong foot with her.

On her way to the evidence lab, she ran into Officer Ramirez, who was staring at Lucifer in the conference room with a look of disbelief. 

“He’s back at _work_?” Ramirez said incredulously when Chloe came near, not directed at anyone in particular but clearly meant for Chloe’s ears. 

“Lucifer’s… very committed to solving this case,” Chloe offered, uncertain, and Ramirez arched an eyebrow.

“I saw him when they brought him out of the desert,” she said, and Chloe’s heart twisted. “Dude was _wrecked_.” Ramirez whistled, apparently impressed. “I heard from my friend on the squad who found him: the description he gave of you was _very_ detailed.” The officer turned to Chloe at last, eyes twinkling. “Yvette said he knew everything _but_ your badge number. Is it true your favourite band is The Bangles?”

Chloe just shook her head, trying to hide the warm feeling that had taken up residence in her chest as she pretended Ella had gotten her attention. She could hear Ramirez laughing behind her.

Lucifer and Amenadiel were still talking when Ella managed to pull prints off the keychain with a triumphant exclamation. 

“Great!” Chloe smiled proudly at Ella. “I’ll go tell Lucifer, we’re on it.” 

Ella winked at her. Chloe just shook her head and rolled her eyes. There wasn’t much point in denying it, at least not with the lab tech. But it didn’t mean she had to admit to anything either.

As she approached the conference room, Lucifer and Amenadiel were still talking. Lucifer’s strident tones rang out.

“You want your wings back and didn’t get them, and I get whacked over the head and hauled out to the desert.”

“That’s not ironic,” Amenadiel reasonably pointed out as Chloe pushed the door open.

“Well, not _ironic_ , ironic, more Alanis Morissette ironic.” He turned around and noticed Chloe. “Anyway, the point is, I’m sure your full powers will come back in no time,” he continued. “You probably just need a good nap; or eat some mangoes, I’ve heard they work wonders - yes, Detective, what is it?”

Amenadiel whirled around. Chloe shot Lucifer a look.

“Ella got prints off that keychain. We’ve got a lead.”

“Excellent!” Lucifer exclaimed. He clapped his brother on the shoulder. “About your problem: I think I might have just the remedy.” He grabbed Chloe’s arm, ushering her toward the door. “I’ll text you the info later.”

“Words, this time, please!” Amenadiel requested. “Oh, and Chloe?” 

She turned, halting Lucifer’s attempts to move her along. “Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Amenadiel smiled more sincerely than she’d ever seen him do before. “I know you were the one who insisted my brother contact me. I appreciate you taking the time.”

Lucifer groaned behind her, but Chloe nodded. “Yeah. You helped me out when I needed it, and family’s important.”

“Yes, it is,” Amenadiel said, with a pointed look at Lucifer, who rolled his eyes. “Especially now.”

“Yes, fine, we’re all in agreement,” Lucifer said, exasperated, “but right now, we have a suspect for my kidnapping, so, shall we?” He indicated the door. Chloe looked between the two of them but decided it wasn’t her place to intervene. It was way too early for her to consider involving herself in a sibling rivalry that had existed for millennia. 

“Right, let’s go,” she said. “See you later, Amenadiel.” The angel waved as they left the room.

“Josh Hamid,” Chloe told Lucifer once they were on their way. Lucifer was texting, probably giving Amenadiel the requested info. “The victim’s business partner. The two own the hotel.”

Lucifer put the phone away, grabbing the file to peruse. “This is a mug shot,” he observed. “Has he got a record?”

“Yeah,” Chloe answered, merging lanes. “Possession of an exotic animal - a tiger, I think.”

“Oh, that’s illegal?” Lucifer’s brows shot up in surprise as he tossed the file onto the dashboard. “Too bad.”

“Yeah, sorry, no tiger for Lux,” she teased, looking over at him. He smirked. Chloe decided that now was as good a time as any.

“So, did you actually use words with Amenadiel this time?” she asked in the same tone. Lucifer rolled his eyes again.

“ _Yes_ , yes, it’s much easier when it’s just… facts and figures. I’ve found emojis are much more convenient for conveying emotion. The ancient Egyptians knew that, and I for one applaud the way humanity appears to be returning to their roots. I mean, look at the shield emoji you use on some of your texts now. The shape is reminiscent of a police badge and evokes your desire to be a protector. Not to mention it also references your name, _Decker_ , the root of which means a protective covering. All that meaning in just one tiny image!”

Chloe let him talk himself out, partly because it was fascinating, and partly because she knew something was bothering him, and she knew he wouldn’t let her address it until he’d run out of ways to evade. 

“Lucifer,” she said when he paused for breath, “you didn’t tell Amenadiel about your wings, did you?”

He opened his mouth to respond, paused, and then huffed a sigh. “Frankly, it’s none of his business,” he said at last. “He’s still very much Dad’s lapdog, or at least, he wants to be,” Lucifer groused. “I had thought, when he slowed time the other day, that his powers had returned, but they haven’t. If… if he knew about my wings, he would be even more insufferable than usual. I just didn’t want to give him the opportunity.”

She looked over at him. “And do mangoes and naps really help regrow angel wings?”

“They certainly can’t hurt,” Lucifer said evasively, and Chloe thought she understood. She didn’t doubt that his irritation was genuine, but it was also his own way of being kind. 

“Lucifer, you should tell him,” she said gently. Over Lucifer’s scoff, she continued, “that’s what family means. You tell each other things that are happening in your life, because they care about what’s going on with you.”

Lucifer was staring at her as though she’d grown a second head. 

“What on Earth are you talking about, Detective?” he asked. “Anything your family knows about you can be used against you.”

Chloe blinked. She admitted to keeping things from her mother on occasion just to make life easier, but the utter conviction with which Lucifer said the words only firmed her resolve to give any and all of his relatives a piece of her mind the minute she was given the opportunity. In the meantime, she smiled at Lucifer even though her heart was sore.

“Not your family then. Trust me. Remember, we do things together now.”

Lucifer nodded slowly. “I do trust you,” he said, and even more than any time he’d said it before, it struck Chloe just how big of a deal that was. Even after millennia of experiencing the people closest to him, who should have cared for him, using and betraying him, he trusted _her_. She would do her utmost to be worthy of that trust.

They arrived at the hotel, and Chloe had to shelve the rest of their conversation. “Anyhow, it looks like Josh and Steve both come from family money. Basically bought this hotel just to have a place to party,” she said as they approached.

“Imagine, buying your own establishment just to justify your decadent lifestyle,” Lucifer mused, apparently without a hint of irony. “It’s absurd.” 

He held the door for her, and she shot him a sidelong glance as she passed. “Yeah. Absurd.” Lucifer smirked, and she was just so happy to have him back with her.

They entered the hotel and were immediately swept up in a crowd of well-dressed partiers. Chloe was reminded of the college rager they’d attended looking for Ashley during the poisoning case. The women practically swarmed Lucifer, and she wished she had a stick to beat them off with. 

Any time in the past that they were in this situation, she would be off somewhere else watching it happen, green with jealousy, all while trying to pretend she wasn’t. Now she knew better - Lucifer wasn’t doing anything, they were just attracted to him, like moths to a flame. What was more, at least in this particular case, he didn’t welcome the attention - he tensed, almost shrinking back, and she distinctly heard him mutter, “ _Really wish this thing had an off switch..._ ”

That was all she needed. She attached herself to Lucifer like a grumpy shield, dragging him through the gaggles of girls like they were an opposing army, glaring daggers at any who dared get too close. She wasn’t forced to flash her badge, but she would have if necessary. 

They reached a relatively open area, and Chloe released her death grip on Lucifer’s forearm, feeling an unexpected rush at what she’d just done. It was the first time she’d laid claim to him in such an overt way, and it felt _really_ good.

Without thinking, she straightened his suit jacket, giving him a full once over. “You ok?”

Lucifer seemed slightly stunned, and blinked before he answered. “More than. Thank you, Detective.”

“Anytime.” She smirked, and he gave a little laugh. 

“Lovely. Suspect?”

Chloe nodded. “Suspect.”

They located Hamid at a table in the back corner of the balcony. Chloe circled around while his back was to them before she addressed him. “Josh Hamid?”

He turned with an insouciant smirk that turned into a leer when he saw her, a man clearly in possession of all the confidence of Lucifer but without any of his inherent charm. It just made him look like he was trying too hard. “Who wants to know?”

Chloe gave the answer that usually let a suspect know that playtime was over, Lucifer a foreboding presence at her shoulder.

“Detective Decker, LAPD.”

“I imagine you recognize me,” Lucifer supplied, his tone containing just a hint of danger.

But Hamid was not cowed, and actually had the audacity to check her out before answering. Lucifer growled - actually growled - so deeply in his chest she felt it more than she heard it, and she put a pre-emptive hand on his arm. 

“You got a nice set of cans for a cop,” the other man drawled, clearly possessing nothing in the way of self-preservation instincts, and Lucifer exploded into action, lunging across the table. Luckily, Chloe was already prepared, and just barely managed to restrain him; his hand, curling around hers, let her know that he was allowing himself to be restrained.

“Lucifer, I got this,” she murmured, and he subsided.

“Whilst I don’t disagree, that is _incredibly_ disrespectful,” he said, sounding like he was fighting for control. 

Hamid, meanwhile, had taken the opportunity to check out her backside.

“Got a nice ass, too.”

Lucifer, as she’d requested, kept himself back, but he was quivering with anger. She guessed both of them were getting the chance to get possessive today.

“Yeah?” She pulled out a set of handcuffs. “Well, I’ve also got these, and _your_ sorry ass is a suspect in the Steve Banales murder.”

Hamid laughed like she’d just told the world’s greatest joke. “I told you Steve was up to something,” he said to the people around him in general, before finally turning his attention to her with a patronizing expression. “You wanna cuff me, honey? You’re gonna have to catch me.”

He whirled and bolted, pushing people behind him into their way. Chloe gave chase, ducking around the first person in their path by sheer chance. Lucifer wasn’t so lucky; she heard his muttered ‘excuse me’ as he pushed through the crowd. If she hadn’t been so focussed on the chase she would have found it adorable how the Devil, who had just seconds before been on the verge of a violent breakdown, apologized to the party guests. 

Hamid, on the other hand, shoved people out of his way without remorse, even pushing one woman through a window back into the building. Chloe was hot on his heels, and the jig was up when he ran into a locked gate between two sections of the balcony. Chloe pulled out her gun as he laughed, which gave her flashes of when she’d cornered the professor in the same way. When he turned around and saw them advancing, he laughed harder. Chloe couldn’t decide if the guy was stupid, or just too cocky for his own good. Probably both.

“Oh, you’ve got a gun!” he taunted, as she felt Lucifer stalk up behind her. “Scary.” He indicated them both with a careless flick of his hand. “Hey, you tell Steve that I am officially impressed.”

“You think this is funny?” Before she could parse the meaning of his words, Lucifer had stormed past her. She called out his name, torn as to whether or not she should holster her gun. In that half second of hesitation, Lucifer had grabbed Hamid by his shirtfront and tossed him bodily over the balcony railing. Chloe stared at Lucifer, open-mouthed. 

A quick glance showed that luckily Hamid had landed in the pool unharmed, but Chloe found she couldn’t quite decide whether Lucifer had known the pool was there, and that frightened her. Throwing people off buildings was crossing a line, even for him. She’d never actually feared for a suspect the way she had in that split second when Hamid was flying over the railing.

“Well, maybe it’s a bit funny,” Lucifer quipped. When he finally glanced at her, taking in her expression of stunned disbelief, his smile faltered. Chloe opened her mouth to ask if he’d intended to toss Hamid in the pool, and then decided she didn’t want to know. 

“Come on,” she said instead, taking his arm again and leading him back out so they could arrest Josh, who was in shock and docile after his unexpected trip. With the rich boy dripping in the backseat of her cruiser, she could hardly discuss anything with Lucifer, so the silence stretched as they returned to the precinct. 

Chloe considered Lucifer, who was staring out the windshield with his jaw clenched, not even trying to tease their suspect, and suddenly she didn’t need any help imagining what he would have been like as the Lord of Hell. She bit the inside of her cheek - this case was affecting Lucifer even more than usual, and he was quickly starting to spiral out of control. In fact, if she admitted the truth to herself, he hadn’t been the same since he’d returned with his wings back.

The Devil was clearly in the throes of some kind of identity crisis, and while she would like nothing more than to press pause on the investigation and help him come back to himself again, time was of the essence. She could only hope that catching whoever was behind this would provide Lucifer with the closure he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for your support! Once again, if anyone can guess the name of the song the chapter title comes from, you'll win a snippet of the next chapter! Chins up, Lucifans! I'll still be here posting, keep up the good fight!


	4. Give into the knowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one guessed the name of the song I took the last chapter title from! It was from SHC by Foster the People :)

Back at the precinct, Chloe took Lucifer aside. She knew that he had no intention of letting the person responsible for his kidnapping go to jail, and so invoking protocol would be pointless. She used the only reasoning she thought might get through to him.

“Lucifer.” She caught his arm, holding his eyes significantly. “I know you want to find who did this to you. Just… make sure you’re punishing the right person.”

Lucifer blinked and nodded solemnly. Chloe supposed that that was the best she was going to get.

Pushing his damp hair back from his face as he sweated nervously, Josh Hamid was looking much more remorseful now that he was actually in a police station. Chloe tried not to feel a sense of satisfaction at his discomfort.

Sitting down at the head of the table while Lucifer took his place across from the suspect, she sent Lucifer another warning look, and he raised his hands as if to say they were off.

“So, Josh -”

“Why did you kidnap me?” Lucifer’s voice cracked like a whip, and Hamid jumped. Chloe rested a hand on Lucifer’s arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. They both needed a break.

“I swear, I’ve never seen you before you tried to kill me today,” Hamid was protesting.

“Really, Joshy,” Lucifer drawled. Chloe squeezed his arm urgently, and he finally subsided. Getting into a game of ‘no I didn’t - yes you did’ with the suspect wasn’t going to get them anywhere.

“So, you say you don’t recognize Lucifer, but you do admit to knowing Steve Banales, right?” Chloe tried to get them back on track. When Hamid nodded, she slapped the crime scene photo down in front of him. She wasn’t immune to getting a touch emotional either - it had been a very long two days. “Then, did you do this to him?”

Hamid looked from the photo to the two of them, horrified. “This is a joke, right?” he asked - a little desperately, Chloe thought.

Lucifer huffed a cynical laugh, but she had her doubts. She showed Hamid the second picture of the keychain. “We found this at the crime scene with your fingerprints all over it.”

“I didn’t kill Steve, man; I would never!” Hamid argued. So far, as expected. But then… “That’s the key I gave to the fake kidnappers.”

“Fake?” Lucifer echoed.

“Yeah!” The words were tumbling out of Josh in his eagerness. “They get paid to abduct people. I hired them for Steve. It’s our thing!”

“What, to torture each other?” Chloe could admit that her friendships weren’t the most orthodox, but she couldn’t imagine such a thing, and she had a demon as a roommate.

“No!” Hamid exclaimed, clearly frustrated that they weren’t getting it. “To pull pranks! The more money we made, the crazier the prank.” Lucifer stilled more with each word, and Chloe sighed explosively. She’d been right. This was going to be more difficult than they’d thought. “The fake kidnapping was retaliation for the tiger Steve put in my backyard.”

Chloe’s mind raced through the implications. His story made a strange amount of sense, even as she couldn’t fathom what it had to do with Lucifer. “What’s the name of the company?”

“Snaatched,” Hamid answered immediately. “Super under the radar. I got the deluxe package.”

“Well, they delivered.” Lucifer was resting his elbow on the back of his chair, legs crossed, the picture of nonchalance to anyone who didn’t know him as well as she did.

“They were supposed to nab Steve for forty-eight hours,” Hamid continued. “Tie him up in a warehouse, stick him in the desert, and then drop him back at the hotel.” He seemed to be having trouble speaking, and Chloe remembered belatedly that Steve and Josh had been friends. “When he didn’t show, I just assumed he was busy plotting payback.”

She remembered what Josh had said before the chase. “ _Told you Steve was up to something._ ”

“It’s why I thought you weren’t real cops,” he explained. “I mean, a guy named Lucifer and the chick from Hot Tub Hotel?” Hamid continued, and Chloe turned to look at him sharply.

“High School,” Lucifer corrected with a weary air, like he’d done it before. “Hot Tub _High School_. She wasn’t in the sequel.” Chloe hadn’t even known there was a sequel.

“I’m sorry,” Hamid apologized with surprising earnestness. “Anyway, can you blame me?”

It did make for a surprisingly convincing story, Chloe had to admit. He’d said something to that effect right before Lucifer had thrown him off the balcony. “ _Tell Steve I am officially impressed_.” Those weren’t the words of someone who knew their friend was dead.

“Look, here’s the thing, Joshy,” Lucifer said irritably, sitting forward again, “I can assure you that we are quite real, and by the looks of it, so are your kidnappers, so tell us what you know about this _Snaatched_.”

Hamid did so, in increasingly broken tones as he began to process the reality that his friend was dead, and that it was his own move in their escalating prank war that had killed him. On any other occasion, Chloe might have felt sympathetic, but not when she’d spent the past two days worried sick over her partner’s well being. They’d somehow managed to drag Lucifer into all of this, and she wouldn’t be able to rest until she’d figured out how. And why.

*

After they checked in with Ella’s progress, Chloe took Lucifer to the break room to get a coffee. His explosive reaction in the lab worried her; she knew they were both on edge and needed some time to cool off.

She couldn’t help the smile that curled her lips as she sipped her latte, watching the Devil fidget in his seat like a bored twelve-year-old. He stopped when he noticed her expression.

“What are you smiling about?” His voice was equal parts fondness and irritation, and Chloe considered that a win. There was no one else in the room to see, so Chloe took his hand over the table.

“Just… glad to have you back,” she said. A faint smile graced Lucifer’s features, but it vanished quickly.

“Just wish I knew why I was away in the first place,” he muttered. Chloe squeezed his hand.

“Me too. And we will find out, Lucifer, I promise,” she told him. “But in order to do that, we can’t let our emotions get the best of us, or we might miss something. Okay?”

Lucifer just scowled, and she put down her cup, wrapping his hand in both of hers. “Look. I know you’re upset. You’re angry because of your wings, and because you think your Father’s responsible for you turning up in the desert...”

“How many times do I have to tell you, Detective?” Lucifer exclaimed. His hand spasmed in hers but he didn’t remove it. “He’s the only one who could stick them back on. He’s angry that I gave Mum her own universe. I mean, nothing pisses God off more than exercising free will.”

“What I mean is,” Chloe said patiently, “we don’t know how this kidnapping plays into it…”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lucifer said, tone harsh, and his hand clenched in hers. “Dad’s a control freak. He’s pissed that He can’t get Mum back, so He stuck my wings back on. But I am _not_  His Mr. Potato Head.”

His voice became more strident with every word, and Chloe bit the inside of her cheek. This wasn’t helping like she’d thought.

“No, Lucifer. You’re not,” she said soothingly. She realized now that the reappearance of his wings, alongside his decision to be with her, set him, in Lucifer’s eyes, even more under his Father’s thumb. No wonder he was so irritable. “How does returning your wings allow Him to control you?” she asked, genuinely curious.

Lucifer’s brow furrowed. “The wings are what allow us to travel between planes,” he explained. “They mean I don’t have to die to go back to Hell. Which is what He’ll inevitably expect me to do. Might as well be a neon sign saying “Throne of Hell, This Way!” He barked a sharp, humourless laugh.

Chloe smoothed his hand from its fist, lightly stroking it. “Well, so long as it’s not, like, mind control,” she said, “I’m not letting you go anywhere.”

She knew it was ridiculous to think she could go against God but that didn’t make her any less determined to try. Lucifer smiled at her in surprised gratitude and took a belated sip of his coffee.

“It’s more the principle of the thing,” he grumbled, sounding more like his old self. “Cutting off my wings was supposed to be my way of flipping Dad the bird. It was a declaration that I was never going back to Hell.”

Chloe nodded, thinking back to one of their earliest cases. “But they were stolen, right?” she asked. That case had left her with so many questions. “Your actual… wings.” She blinked in disbelief. Everything he’d said back then made so much more sense now.

“Yes, they were,” he said. “They were hidden in the back of that container, in a secret compartment.”

“I knew that container was hiding something!” Chloe exclaimed. “You wouldn’t go to so much trouble just for dolls.”

Lucifer smirked. “Yes, very clever, Detective. However, I did want the dolls back, as well, because they conceal the Harbingers of the Apocalypse. They were too dangerous to leave behind in Hell, so I brought them with me.”

“ _What_?” Chloe’s voice was nearly a shout. “But I _opened…_ ” Just like it had before, shock was preventing her panic.

“Oh, don’t fret about that, Detective,” Lucifer said, infuriatingly calm, patting her hand. “Most of the dolls in there were decoys, like the one you picked up.”

Chloe blew out a breath, willing her heart rate to return to normal. “Don’t scare me like that!” she chided, smacking his arm. Lucifer rubbed the spot like she’d actually hurt him, grinning unrepentantly.

“In any case, it was my brother who tipped the auctioneer off.”

“Amenadiel?” Chloe was stunned. Lucifer shrugged as if to say it was all in the past.

“Back then, he considered it his mission to send me back to Hell, and he hoped the theft of my wings would remind me how much I wanted them. Nearly worked, too.” He knocked back the rest of his coffee. “But I refused to be manipulated in such a way, so I burned them.” He pronounced each word deliberately, and it was clear the decision still affected him.

“Oh.” Now she understood why he’d been so dismissive after the case had concluded.

Lucifer’s expression darkened again. “I thought that was truly the end of it. Now, to find out that He could have just put them back on any time He wanted…” Chloe knew how much his pride must have been stung. Quite apart from being incapacitated in such a way, the knowledge that his grand gesture had meant so little in the end had to be awful.

“But then… if He can just give them back…?” Chloe was reluctant to bring it up but she couldn’t help but ask.

Lucifer scowled. “What good would cutting them off do? Well, it’d make me feel a sight better, at any rate. It’s still a message that needs to be sent, now more than ever. If He wants to keep sticking them back on, I can just keep cutting them off.”

Chloe’s heart clenched. “But,” she said desperately, “don’t you think He’d be expecting that from you? Like, wouldn’t He have contingencies? Wouldn’t it be better if you just took the wings without doing what He wants?”

Lucifer looked pensive and seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough. But at that moment, Ella stuck her head in the door, regarding them with a massive grin.

“Flirting time’s over, you guys, Pierce wants an update on the investigation.” She winked before backing out again, looking like Christmas had come early.

Lucifer blinked, nonplussed. Chloe just shook her head. Office gossip being what it was, they’d be lucky if the news wasn’t all over the precinct by now.

“Come on,” she said, dumping their empty cups in the sink. “Let’s go tell Pierce about all the nothing we’ve got.” She grimaced. She wasn’t looking forward to this.

*

“Well that sucks,” Pierce said. Chloe tried not to let his blunt tone get to her. “Dead ends piss me off.” He shut his laptop, standing to walk around his desk. “Which is why I don’t believe in them.”

 _Oh yeah, and the rest of us think they’re just the best_ , Chloe thought irritably.

“Now, these kidnappers may be fake but they’re not invisible,” Pierce continued, oblivious to the dissention in his ranks. “There has to be a way to find them.”

“You’re right,” Chloe said, trying not to make her dislike too obvious as Lucifer and Dan hovered in the background. “If Muhammad won’t come to the mountain, the mountain must go to Muhammad.”

“I have no idea what that means, Decker.” Pierce’s bland voice still managed to hold a note of censure.

Chloe bit her tongue on her retort. Luckily Lucifer was available to translate.

“Well, someone needs to get kidnapped.”

“Now, there’s an idea,” Pierce said approvingly. Chloe couldn’t believe it.

“That I was just suggesting,” she couldn’t help but interject. Lucifer’s eyes cut over to her, glinting with mirth, but Pierce continued to ignore her.

“No one likes a credit hog, Decker. Now who would be the bait?” Chloe kept her face carefully neutral. Focus on the case. Lucifer’s kidnapping. She could figure out what the Lieutenant’s deal was later.

“Well, I’d like to volunteer,” Lucifer said immediately, raising a hand, and Chloe turned to stare at him.

“Uh... that’s not a good idea,” she objected. “If these are the same guys who abducted Lucifer, they’re gonna recognize him.” _Like Hell_ she was going to let him get kidnapped again after she’d just gotten him back.

Lucifer stared at her blankly.

“Right,” Pierce said, and Chloe bit back a sigh of relief. “We need somebody who’s a lot less… well, everything.” She sympathized with trying to sum up Lucifer’s _Luciferness_. “Esperanza,” Pierce continued, going back to sit at his desk.

“Espinoza,” Dan corrected, but soldiered on. “And sure, that makes sense. I have the most experience in the field, so if something goes wrong, then-”

“You’re expendable,” Pierce interjected, already looking at something else on his desk, which was good, because Chloe’s mouth had fallen open. “Exactly. Thank you. Now go get kidnapped, Esperanza.” He dismissed them.

The three were in varying states of disbelief as they left.

“ _That_ was on purpose,” Dan said, and Chloe shook her head.

“What is up with him?” she asked, mostly to herself. Lucifer didn’t answer, but she could tell he was put out by the fact that he wasn’t going to be their bait. Dan walked away, muttering something about setting up the sting with tech. Chloe followed Lucifer’s gaze and saw Josh Hamid being led out of holding.

“What d’you think will happen to our friend Joshy?” Lucifer murmured. Hamid was a changed man, walking while staring at his shoes, not an ounce of his earlier confidence in his demeanour.

“Depending on the judge, he won’t get much jail time,” Chloe told him. “It’s two to four years for manslaughter and a ten grand fine which is chump change to that guy.”

Lucifer looked at her in surprise. “So you’re saying he could still be punished, even though he never intended for his friend to get hurt?”

“Yeah,” Chloe blinked, remembering who she was talking to. “Obviously once we find whoever did the actual kidnapping, they’ll get worse, but nothing would’ve happened to Steve if Josh hadn’t hired them first.”

Lucifer nodded. “Well he’s certainly bought himself a first-class ticket to Hell,” he said point blank, “Depending on how guilty he’s actually feeling.”

Chloe was definitely going to need more time to get used to the reality of those statements. “Yeah, well it’s harder for our system to measure the amount of guilt someone feels,” she replied, trying to keep her voice even. “And especially if he gets a lenient judge, he could get out even earlier on good behaviour, seeing as he’s got a lot of money, and the worst they could slap him with is involuntary manslaughter.”

“Well, either way, he’ll get what he deserves,” Lucifer said with certainty, visibly dismissing the issue. _Or what he believes he deserves, which isn’t always the same thing_ , she thought. Hamid was long gone, but Chloe couldn’t get the image of him out of her mind. Condemned to an eternity of torture because of a prank gone wrong? This was the sort of thing she needed to think about now - punishment didn’t stop at the courtroom for her, now that she was in the know. The perps’ immortal souls were under consideration, too.

She resolved to ask Lucifer more about how Hell worked - later. That was a conversation for another day, not when they were in the process of setting up a sting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of the Russian dolls being connected to the Apocalypse was an idea I first discovered in Praemonitor's wonderful fic "Devil's Advocate" and used with their knowledge and permission in 100 Ways, revisited here. Does anyone want to take a shot at what song off the Lucifer soundtrack this week's title is taken from? Winner will, as always, receive a snippet of next week's chapter. Thanks for reading! :)


	5. Where you gonna run to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a longer chapter this time. I hope you don't mind :)

“Daniel, you’re not allergic to gerbils, are you?” Lucifer’s voice called from the front seat of the truck. “Just making some last minute adjustments to the questionnaire.”

Chloe stifled a laugh. She’d had Lucifer fill out the application because she thought his extensive experience in that area would get the kidnappers’ attention, but Dan was on edge enough as it was.

“Hilarious,” Dan muttered, and she turned her attention to fitting him with the bug.

“Hey, Lucifer, did you set up the pickup point?” she called, to remind him not to get too caught up in his fun.

“Yes,” came the slightly exasperated reply. “Tour bus pickup, Olvera street, exactly one half hour from now.”

“All right, good. Hey,” she said more quietly to Dan, who was looking more nervous with every word, “You know the team will intervene before anyone gets hurt, right?”

“Yeah, okay,” Dan said, not looking reassured.

“Look, if you’re upset about what the Lieutenant said, you’re not alone,” she told him. “He’s not a fan of mine either.” And she wasn’t a fan of him, but she wasn’t about to spread it around. “I still can’t believe he called me ‘Lucifer’s partner.’”

“You are my partner,” Lucifer called, without a moment’s hesitation, and Chloe couldn’t hide a small smile as her heart warmed.

“That’s not what I meant, Lucifer, but thank you,” she said, and Dan rolled his eyes. Chloe was unrepentant. She wasn’t going to flaunt it, but she wasn’t about to censor herself either.

“You know, the truth is, I am feeling expendable,” Dan admitted.

“Why?” Chloe asked, surprised.

“It’s not because Pierce said it,” Dan elaborated. “It’s because of Charlotte.”

“Oh,” Chloe said, for lack of a better response. This was _not_ a conversation she’d been expecting to have with her ex-husband.

“Yeah, after everything at the beach, she’s acting like she doesn’t even know me,” Dan said. “I’m not an idiot. I know she was using me at first, but then it seemed like she actually cared.”

“Well, um-” Chloe found herself completely at a loss. It wasn’t like she could explain to Dan what was really going on. Suddenly sympathizing with Lucifer, she held out the earpiece for Dan to take.

“Whatever. I’ll get over it.” Dan didn’t sound convinced, and Chloe wished she knew what to tell him. She hoped he would get over it - he didn’t deserve to get roped into all this.

“I’m sorry, Dan,” she said, and it felt like lying.

Lucifer could always be counted upon to lighten a moment though. “Yes, I’m sorry too, Daniel, that I can’t hear you. Could you speak up, please?” A slight smirk was on his face, and Chloe shook her head, knowing that he’d heard everything and also not willing to make a bigger deal about it until they’d had a proper talk about what had happened with his mother.

“ _T-minus twenty, people._ ” Marcus’ voice over the radio broke up their conversation more effectively than anything else could have. “ _Take your mark, Espinoza_.” At least he’d gotten the name right this time.

“Right. I’ll check in with McMillan at the lookout point,” Chloe told Dan. She wanted this sting to go off without a hitch.

“The kidnappers are seven minutes late,” Dan said.

“Yeah, well, we didn’t give them a lot of prep time. Don’t worry,” Chloe reassured him, though it didn’t seem to fit Snaatched’s MO.

“ _I’m worried_ ,” Marcus said over the radio, as if on cue. “ _Where are they?_ ”

“They’ll be here,” Chloe said, with much more certainty than she felt. “Come on, be here,” she whispered under her breath. She stared intently at Dan on the screen, not wanting to miss something, until her phone buzzing distracted her. She looked down - she shouldn’t have gotten a text except from the kidnappers, and Dan was clearly still there.

Her stomach flipped when she saw the message. < _TARGET ACQUIRED. >_ She opened it in apprehension, wondering if it had all somehow gone wrong, and they’d nabbed some innocent bystander. Then a moment later she got a picture message, and her heart stopped. Then it started up again doing triple time. Even though Lucifer had a bag over his head, and she couldn’t see his expression, she could picture the exact grin that went along with his ridiculous thumbs up gesture.

Meanwhile she was left behind to pick up the pieces. Their sting was in shambles since Lucifer hadn’t been wearing the wire and, oh yeah, she’d just spent two days _frantic_ over his first kidnapping. She’d thought he’d been too quiet in the front of the van but she’d been too focussed on the operation to check on him.

She clenched her hand around the phone, willing herself to relax, telling herself she would not cry. But the fact that he was the Devil, and invulnerable when not near her, didn’t mean much when she thought about the fact that these were supposedly the same people who’d taken him before.

“Dammit, Lucifer,” she whispered. She’d thought they were past this, past him pulling reckless stunts on his own. _So much for figuring this out together_.

Resolutely pushing her feelings of betrayal aside to be dealt with later, she got on the radio to explain what had happened, thinking briefly they should have a code for “Lucifer did something criminally reckless again.” A code 666, maybe.

* * *

 

Back at the precinct, Chloe was trying to keep it together. She met back up with Dan, who gave her a look. He wasn’t alone in expecting things to be different now, though the shrug she gave him was the same. _What do you want me to do? He’s the Devil._

“Remind me never to leave Lucifer in the front seat unattended,” she said aloud. Dan grimaced.

“And remind me to kick his ass for humiliating me in front of Pierce,” Dan said.

“Well, I’ll help you, if we can find him,” Chloe answered, focussing on her anger rather than the fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

“Look, don’t worry, Chloe,” Dan said unexpectedly. He could see through her fronts. She tended to forget that. “Lucifer can take care of himself.”

 _Not always_ , Chloe thought. People needed to stop telling her that - up to and including Lucifer himself.

“Found Lucifer’s phone!” Ella exclaimed, running up, and Chloe spun around. “In some bushes on Alameda Street. Kidnappers must have tossed it.”

“What about traffic cams?” Chloe asked desperately. “Maybe we could pull a plate number?”

“No,” Ella said, and Chloe’s heart plummeted. “I checked everything within a mile radius. Nada. Must have grabbed him in a blind spot.”

Chloe took several deep breaths, starting to feel like she was trapped in a nightmare. It was exactly the same thing that had happened before, and now it seemed like these were really the same people who had kidnapped Lucifer. She couldn’t afford the luxury of freaking out.

“Unfortunately, I think we’re dealing with some pretty crafty bad guys,” Ella concluded.

Chloe clenched her fists. “Come on,” she said, keeping her voice mostly steady. “Let’s look over all the evidence. Maybe we’ll find something now that we know the two are connected.” Dan clapped her on the shoulder again, and she led the way to the evidence lab.

“So, the prints on the keychain led to Josh,” Ella said, holding up the bag.

“Right,” Chloe said, mind working fast. “And the tire treads on the roadkill led to nothing.”

“There’s gotta be something we’re missing,” Ella sighed.

“Maybe Lancaster has something,” Chloe suggested.

Dan had peeled off to check with them. “We’re screwed,” he said as he stormed in, and Chloe hadn’t thought it was possible for her heart to sink any further.

“Or not,” she said, fighting to conceal her disappointment. Lancaster had been a big hope for a lead.

“Remember the detective who found the keychain? He doesn’t exist, at least not at Lancaster PD,” Dan explained, and Chloe’s focus sharpened. “They only sent patrol units to the scene.”

“Whoa,” Ella said. “You think that was our guy? Killers often return to the scene of the crime.”

Chloe’s gaze flicked to Ella as the lab tech confirmed what Chloe had been thinking. She sort of hoped that wasn’t the case though, since that meant that she’d had the man who’d taken Lucifer in her sights and let him get away.

“Which means he wasn’t finding evidence,” Dan realized, shaking his head, “he was trying to steal it. Should’ve known.”

“Why should you have known?” Chloe replied, even though she was thinking the same thing. “Lancaster don’t know us. We don’t know them. Look, let’s just go through these photos. Try and find him in the background, okay?”

“Then we can nail his ass with facial recognition software,” Ella said, already searching. Chloe combed the photos. Why couldn’t it ever be easy?

“Here he is,” Dan said, finding him almost immediately. It made sense, since he’d interacted the most with the man. “But his back’s to us.” _Of course it is._

Ella snatched the photo before Chloe could, staring at it for a moment. Chloe was about to ask her to hand it over when the lab tech started talking excitedly. “You guys! Oh my gosh! I knew it. I knew he didn’t die in vain!” She ran over to the computer, leaving both Chloe and Dan at a loss.

“What? Who?” Dan asked.

“Leo!” Ella exclaimed. Chloe had a vague recollection of the fact that Ella had named the roadkill and called it the second victim; it had been overshadowed by Lucifer’s subsequent outburst. “See? Look,” Ella elaborated, zooming in.

“There’s our suspect, right, leaving the scene, walking toward that van.” She zoomed in further. “Ryuk Road Crusher tires, commercial grade! That’s the van that ran over Leo.” She looked between the two of them imploringly. “I mean, this pretty much confirms this guy’s our killer.”

Chloe jumped on the lead. “Okay. So maybe we can get an ID. Let’s run the license plate.” Ella nodded and started typing.

They tracked the van’s registration to an apartment in Koreatown. Chloe blared the siren and drove as fast as she dared. She didn’t think the kidnapper would take Lucifer back to his apartment - evidence suggested he was smarter than that - but she was hoping for a clue as to where they were, or at least what was going on. Alternatively, assuming Lucifer had been playing his own angle this whole time, she hoped she could get there before he did something he’d regret. Dan, riding shotgun, was silent, but she could sense his disapproval easily.

Lucifer’s Corvette was parked out front. As they cased the upper floor, Chloe was immediately drawn to Lucifer’s raised voice echoing down the hall.

“ _I_ define who I am. Not Him. _Me_!” Frightened babbling followed. They hurried toward the sound and found a door blown off its hinges. The voices were coming from inside.

“And where do I find this Sinnerman?” Lucifer was saying.

“You don’t,” came the reply. “He finds you.”

“Lucifer!” Chloe called as they entered, and he whirled to face her, the cowering man on the floor terrified but still very much unharmed. She breathed a sigh of relief, holstering her gun as Dan placed him under arrest.

“Get up. Up! Put your hands behind your back.”

Chloe ignored them, going to Lucifer, ready to lay into him for giving her such a scare until she saw his expression. His eyes were pointed in her general direction but were oddly unfocused, and she put her anger aside for the moment in favour of concern.

“What happened to you?” She put a hand on his arm and he flinched as though stung.

“I-” He closed his mouth, tried again. “He…” He jerked his head in the direction of the man being led away. “He didn’t know anything. Seems he was just a pawn of this Sinnerman, whoever that is.” His voice betrayed his bitterness and frustration that their true adversary remained hidden.

Chloe went to slip her hand into his, only to find that it was clutching one of Maze’s knives.

“Lucifer,” she said reproachfully. Lucifer looked down at the knife as though he’d forgotten he had it.

“I didn’t use it,” he said. Chloe nodded - she knew that much. “I thought he might not be human. But it appears he is, and I…” He met her eyes, finally, and his were as cold and dark as they had been when he’d first reappeared.

“My wings came out,” he confessed at last, voice low and still. “Instead of my face. When I was angry.” He thrust the demon blade at her, hilt-first, and she backed up quickly. “Cut them off me,” he pleaded, his face still worryingly blank. “I don’t care if they grow back. I just want them gone.”

“Lucifer, no,” Chloe said, near tears. “I told you, I won’t hurt you like that. I’ll never hurt you like that.”

“Fine,” Lucifer replied, still closed off and hard. “If you won’t do it, then I’ll find someone who will.”

“Lucifer!” She caught his arm, clutching desperately as he started to pull away, knowing she had no way of truly stopping him if he wanted to leave. Thankfully he halted, waiting.

“Will you at least wait until you’ve heard what Linda has to say about all this? When’s your next session?”

“Tomorrow morning,” he answered slowly. Finally, something else surfaced in his eyes. “If she’s recovered by then.”

Chloe was relieved to see him turning his focus elsewhere. “Okay. Good. In the meantime, come over for dinner.” It wasn’t a question.

Lucifer turned back. “Chloe, are you sure…?”

She took his left hand - the hand not holding the knife - trying to make light of it. “You think I’m letting you out of my sight, after all this?”

Lucifer chuckled, but it was a surprised sound. “I suppose not.”

Dan took the cruiser and the suspect back to the station, offering no comment, even when Chloe informed him that she and Lucifer were going home. He took one look at Lucifer and nodded. “I got this, Chloe. You guys take a break.”

“Thanks, Dan,” Chloe said with real gratitude, and slid into the passenger side of Lucifer’s car.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dan said, with the air of someone who wasn’t sure why he should be doing Lucifer any favours, but as long as he was taking care of the booking, that was all that mattered to Chloe.

Lucifer was subdued during the drive, which let Chloe sort through her feelings. She was angry about what Lucifer had done, but her relief at finding him and her concern over his emotional state outweighed it for the time being.

When they entered the house, Trixie was there immediately, throwing herself at him. “Lucifer!”

Chloe was ready and caught her daughter before she could reach Lucifer.

“Not today, babe, okay?” She planted a kiss on Trixie’s forehead. “Lucifer’s had a really rough day.”

Trixie frowned, but nodded. Chloe understood her confusion: to her daughter, rough days required the most hugs. But it was also a good time to teach her about respecting boundaries.

She put Trixie down, and she looked up at Lucifer, who still looked like he was expecting to have to fend off a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lucifer,” her daughter said seriously. “Mommy was really worried.”

“So I’ve heard,” Lucifer said, but his dry tone couldn’t quite hide a deeper vein of emotion.

“I was worried about you, too,” Trixie informed him, and Chloe smiled. Whether he knew it or not, Trixie had considered the Devil part of her family since they’d first met.

“As I’ve told your mother, there’s no need,” Lucifer said, moving past her into the house. “But thank you.” He rested a hand on Trixie’s head as he passed, and Chloe’s smile deepened.

They embarked on the evening Chloe had originally planned days before, with a few notable exceptions. Lucifer’s general lack of responsiveness was worrying her, so she broke down and called Linda, telling her Lucifer had lost another phone.

“ _Thanks for letting me know, Chloe_ ,” Linda said. “ _I was actually just about to call to cancel his session tomorrow._ ” She sounded resigned. “ _I really don’t want to, but unfortunately it’s doctor’s orders._ ”

Chloe took a deep breath. “Linda, he’s scaring me,” she said quietly, glancing up from the pot she was stirring to where he was standing outside for a smoke. “His wings grew back out in the desert, and ever since he’s been completely different. He wants to cut them off again. I’ve been begging him not to but I’m afraid he’s going to do something as soon as my back is turned. He’s even more reckless than usual, and I don’t think anything I’m saying is getting through to him.” She sighed. “I hate to dump this on you when you should be recuperating, but I just don’t know what to do.”

Linda let her talk herself out before saying calmly, “ _I’m so glad Lucifer has you in his life. You’re taking this so well and doing everything exactly right. Do you think he would agree to speak with me tonight?”_

Chloe turned off the heat, leaning back. “Would you do that? Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”

 _“I won’t even have to move,”_ Linda reassured her. “ _Besides, it’s just the doctors who are stopping me from going back to work. If Lucifer’s in crisis I don’t want to leave him waiting a moment longer than necessary.”_

Lucifer came back inside, and Chloe held out the phone. “It’s Linda,” she told him. “She wants to know if you want to talk.”

Lucifer shrugged, holding his hand out for the phone.

“Did you want to use another room, or-?” Chloe began, but Lucifer had already settled on the couch. She supposed he’d never really cared that much for privacy.

“Doctor Linda!” Lucifer’s voice was brighter than it had been all night, and she could tell it was only partially put on. “How are you doing?”

“ _I’m fine, Lucifer,_ ” Linda said. The phone’s camera was up close to her face so the progress of her healing injuries wasn’t visible, but her hair was down in a way it usually wasn’t when she was at work, making her look softer and younger. “ _But I’m more concerned about you. Chloe tells me you spent two days unconscious in the desert_?”

“That’s correct. I woke up with my wings stuck back on, somehow. I’d show you but I’d rather not take them out where there’s so much that’s… breakable,” he said, glancing around. Chloe murmured thanks behind him.

“ _I didn’t know they could grow back_.” Linda’s voice was a unique mixture of sympathy and curiosity. “ _Are wings like… body hair?_ ”

“No. Don’t be so ridiculous,” Lucifer replied, but he didn’t sound quite as bleak, and Chloe quietly admired Linda’s technique. “This is just Dad’s latest stunt. A celestial spanking, if you will, delivered by some emissary on Earth. I suppose that’s what I get for giving Mum her own universe.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly, rolling his shoulders. “But it’s no biggie. I intend to cut them off again as soon as Maze is back or I can find someone else to do it.”

“ _Lucifer._ ” Linda was suddenly very serious. “ _You’re talking about cutting your limbs off._ ”

Lucifer made a sound as if to say _Yes, and?_ Chloe checked to make sure Trixie was still in her room. It killed her how cavalier Lucifer was being about this.

“Doctor, someone is forcing these wings on me. I won’t stand for someone making me something I’m not!”

“ _And you don’t have any idea who this… emissary might be?_ ” Linda asked.

“Just a name,” Lucifer replied. “Calls himself ‘The Sinnerman.’ A little on the nose if you ask me. We tracked down the chap who did the actual kidnapping, but he doesn’t seem to have any connection to the Sinnerman so we’re left with nothing.”

“ _Well, Lucifer, as your therapist, I feel like we should examine the root cause of your desire to self-mutilate,”_ Linda said, and even without being able to see Lucifer’s expression, Chloe could tell by the stiff set of his shoulders how little he cared for that idea. Linda must have seen it too, because she changed tactics quickly. _“But as your friend, I just want you to remember that you have people who love and care for you. Who don’t want to see you in pain,”_ she said. _“And we’ll be there for you no matter what.”_

Chloe held her breath.

“Very well,” Lucifer said begrudgingly, and Chloe felt a surge of relief. “I suppose even I have my limits when it comes to masochism. They’re just a bloody nuisance.”

“ _Well, we’re all here to help you with that,_ ” Linda said. “ _But in the end, what matters is how it affects you, Lucifer. This was done to you against your will - I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”_ Lucifer bristled again, but Linda gave him a sympathetic smile. _“Change for other people is only temporary; this has to be something you decide for yourself, and I definitely want to revisit this in future sessions.”_ There was a pause as she let her words sink in. “ _Now, was there anything else you wanted to discuss?_ ”

Lucifer shook his head. “Nothing that can’t wait until our next session, Doctor. I want you to focus on getting better.”

“ _Thank you, Lucifer. You know you can call me any time, and I’ll get in touch with you when the doctors let me go back to work again._ ”

She signed off, and Chloe went to wrap her arms around Lucifer from behind. She pressed her lips to the patch of skin beneath his ear, not sure what to say. He shivered and turned his head to connect their lips.

“Hmm,” he mused as they parted. “I think I’d like to have you at all my therapy sessions from now on.”

Chloe grinned. “I’m still very upset with you,” she told him, despite all appearances.

“Are you indeed?” Lucifer murmured.

“Yes,” Chloe nodded, pulling away just enough to thwart his seeking lips. “How could you put me through that again, Lucifer?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet. “I just got you back after two days of worrying myself sick over you, and the first thing you do is get yourself kidnapped again. By the same people who took you before. Without even wearing a wire so I could know you were okay! I mean, what if they’d taken the opportunity to finish what they’d started?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes, unapologetic. “Well, as it turns out, those so-called “kidnappers” were really a bunch of incompetents. I find it hard to believe that anyone as allegedly sinister as this “Sinnerman” would even associate with them.”

Chloe resisted the urge to yank on her hair. She stood, moving away to pour them both a glass of wine. After a moment, Lucifer rose and followed her.

“Okay,” she said. “But I didn’t know that. Neither did you. And whatever’s going on, someone really dangerous is behind it. Someone who’s able to affect you in ways we don’t understand. We _talked_ about this, Lucifer.”

Lucifer’s jaw was set as he sipped. “It made more sense for me to get kidnapped,” he said stubbornly. “I’m the one who’s the best equipped to deal with whatever supernatural shenanigans the Sinnerman may or may not be up to, not Daniel.”

“We were _tracking_ Dan!” Chloe insisted, mashing the potatoes with more force than was perhaps necessary. “We would have gone in as soon as he made contact. The entire thing would have been monitored. You wouldn’t have missed anything. Plus, we really did have to assume that the kidnappers would have recognized you. You could have blown the entire operation and sent them underground for good.” She sighed, looking at him frankly. “In that situation, Dan was really the better option.”

Lucifer arched a cynical brow. “And you think Dan would have stood a chance against, say, another angel? Or a demon?”

“What I’m _saying_ ,” Chloe said, trying to keep her temper in check, “is that at least Dan was wearing the wire so we knew what was going on. You going off on your own like that nearly cost us the investigation.”

Lucifer’s nostrils flared. “Chloe, I’m the Devil,” he said. “I can take care of myself.”

Chloe almost snorted at the thought of how many people had told her variations on the same theme over the course of the past week. It wasn’t like she couldn’t see how powerless he was feeling right now. She took his hands over the counter, and gave him the answer she’d given Amenadiel in the car.

“You are, and you can,” she said. “No one is suggesting otherwise. But you don’t have to. Not anymore.” She did smile, then, parroting his own words back to him from so very long ago. “You’re having a very hard time with the whole ‘together’ thing, aren’t you?”

He huffed, looking down at their joined hands. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

She looked into Lucifer’s eyes, which were dark and inscrutable. “I realize now what I should’ve done is used you as eyes on Dan so you could intervene as soon as there was movement. But you also need to not go off on your own every time something doesn’t go your way, okay? We’re partners, and that means we need to work together. Don’t worry,” Chloe murmured, running her thumbs over the back of his hands. “We just need some time to adjust. We’ll work on it.”

“Together?” Lucifer asked, meeting her eyes. He almost achieved a light tone, but ended up sounding plaintive instead.

She nodded. “Exactly.”

“Mommy?” A small voice intruded into their moment. “Is dinner ready yet? I’m hungry.”

Chloe sniffed, smiling at her daughter as she released Lucifer’s hands. “Just about, monkey. Help Lucifer set the table?” Lucifer’s surprise at the veiled directive made her grin as she started to plate the food.

Trixie was so excited to have Lucifer staying for dinner that Chloe had to remind her several times to actually eat.

“Will you tell me your magician secret?” she begged Lucifer. “You told Mommy! I promise I won’t tell _anyone_! Please please please?”

“Magician…?” Lucifer’s look of confused disdain resolved itself, and he glanced over at Chloe. “Ah. I don’t know if that would be the best idea, child…”

Chloe just looked at him over the rim of her wine glass. “Oh, you’re going to love this,” she said. Maybe it was a bit petty, but she wanted some payback for all of the revelations she’d had to deal with in the past little while. “Do you mean about him being the Devil, monkey?” she asked sweetly. Trixie shook her head.

“No, I know all about that,” she said, with all the certainty of the young, and Lucifer chuckled.

“I sincerely doubt you do.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “I _know_ you’re the Devil, duh. I saw your eyes when you scared the mean girl.”

Lucifer’s mouth dropped open, but he recovered quickly. “And… you’re not afraid of me?”

Trixie frowned. “Why would I be? You only scare people who deserve it. Like the mean girl and the bad man who tried to hurt my mommy. Like a guardian angel, only way cooler.”

Lucifer tried to look affronted at being in any way compared to an angel. “A guardian Devil?” he suggested faintly.

Trixie grinned. “Yeah!”

Chloe took pity on Lucifer, who looked like he was about to fall out of his chair. “Go on, you little weasel. You don’t have to help with the dishes today but I do want you to clean your room. Then you can watch a movie before bed.”

“Will Lucifer watch too?” Trixie demanded.

“You’d have to ask him nicely.”

Trixie hopped down off her chair, tugging on Lucifer’s sleeve. “You will, right? Pretty please?”

The Devil was putty in her daughter’s hands, especially now. He nodded mutely, and with an exclamation of triumph, Trixie ran off down the hall.

Silence reigned at the dinner table. Chloe was enjoying Lucifer’s deer in headlights impersonation far too much to intervene.

“A child,” he said at last, in a strangled tone. “A child doesn’t fear me.” He looked up to meet her eyes, the faintest evidence of tears in his. “What does that mean?”

Chloe put down her wine, placing her hand over his. “It means you’re family,” she said simply. “You always have been.”

He smiled tentatively at her, and she was just about to lean in and kiss his doubts away when there came a knock at the door.

Chloe’s eyes narrowed. It was a bit late for visitors, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. Lucifer rose to stand in a defensive position, whether he realized it or not, as Chloe opened the door warily.

“Amenadiel!” she exclaimed, opening the door wider to let him in.

“I’m sorry to disturb you so late, Chloe,” Lucifer’s brother said formally, still standing outside. “Is my brother here? I waited for him at his place, and when he didn't show I thought he might be with you.”

“Hello, brother,” Lucifer said, relaxing his posture and moving into view. Amenadiel entered, and Lucifer refilled his wineglass, moving into the living room.

“So, did Remedy cure what ails you?” Lucifer asked, taking a large sip. “Did her massage make anything pop out?” He glanced down the hall toward Trixie’s room. “Talking about your wings, of course.”

“No, mine are still absent,” Amenadiel replied, and Chloe knew she hadn’t imagined the emphasis he put on the word _mine_ a second before he pulled a pristine, gleaming feather out of his jacket. “Yours, on the other hand…” He held the feather out to Lucifer. It shone in the mundane light of her living room, like it was the “after” in a commercial where the cleaning product left an aura on everything it touched.

Lucifer made a noise of comprehension, but didn’t move to take the feather, instead leaning against the counter island.

Amenadiel put the feather away, and the room instantly felt dimmer, like the sun going behind a cloud. “Lucifer, I’m not angry with you that you somehow got your wings back.”

It occurred to Chloe that this probably ought to be a private conversation, but she’d had enough experience with celestials by now to realize almost in the same instant that it didn’t matter. With a mental shrug, she began clearing the table.

“I’m angry with myself,” Amenadiel continued. “Because somehow I made you feel like you couldn’t confide in me.”

 _Anything your family knows about you can be used against you_. Chloe heard Lucifer’s words in her head and held back a grimace, forcing herself to keep moving.

“Well, comparing body parts is never good for the male ego, especially between brothers,” Lucifer said, using humour to deflect a difficult topic as always. He took another sip of his drink.

“But that’s just it, Luci,” Amenadiel replied, starting to pace back and forth. “My ego should never be an issue. I am an angel,” he said, but to Chloe his words sounded hollow, forced. Sort of like the way it sometimes sounded now when Lucifer said he was the Devil. “A soldier of God. His favourite son.”

Lucifer sighed. “That’s going to be a thing, isn’t it?”

Chloe blinked. She’d forgotten about that whole aspect of the hunt for the piece. The fact that the Almighty was apparently playing favourites amongst His children via ancient human texts. It had angered her then, and it did again now. While she still held out hope for a mistranslation, Lucifer had been right back then, too. What mattered was that Amenadiel believed it. The angel chuckled slightly.

“Listen,” Amenadiel said. “Father… He works in mysterious ways.”

It chilled Chloe to the bone to hear the two sons of God discussing their Father’s behaviour using rationalizations that humans had come up with. That line in particular had always struck her as such a cop out, not wanting to take responsibility for the tenets their religion claimed.

“I was tested once, and I failed,” Amenadiel admitted. “I’m not gonna fail again. Because this time, I have faith.”

 _Faith?_ Chloe shivered. They shouldn’t need faith. God was their literal Father.

“ _Excellent_ ,” Lucifer said scathingly, and Chloe braced herself. She understood, now, that Amenadiel had just done the metaphysical equivalent of calling the Devil out. He couldn’t ignore it even if he wanted to. “Then I suppose this won’t bother you.” And then there were angel wings in her living room.

They were somehow even more impossible than she remembered. In the luxurious penthouse they’d had a sense of belonging, of rightness, but here, amidst the plaster walls and second-hand furniture, she could see why humans apparently tended to go a little mad at the sight of them. Their unearthly beauty made the world feel like it was tilting on its axis; the light they emitted created an aura of unreality where everything it touched was simultaneously made more and less real; the most perfect version of itself that couldn’t possibly exist.

Chloe gazed unabashedly, feeling like she’d been granted a rare gift, not knowing when Lucifer would deign to allow her to see them again. The fact that Amenadiel was staring at least as rapturously made her feel a bit better (but also sad).

Lucifer stood defiantly, his back ramrod-straight, and Chloe bit her lip, knowing what simply having them out was costing him. But he wouldn’t be Lucifer if he didn’t go to unnecessary lengths to make a point.

He kept them out just long enough that there could be no doubt about the message he was sending, his wingspan so massive that it seemed to suck all the air out of the room as his pinions spread aggressively, nudging chairs out of the way and brushing up against the curtains. He’d at least chosen the best angle for it, but as he folded them away again Trixie’s drawings on the wall rustled in the sudden gust and items wobbled precariously on shelves.

There was a long silence. Amenadiel took a deep breath. Chloe moved closer to Lucifer under the pretext of shifting some of the things back to safety, placing a careful hand on his arm. Outwardly, he projected an insouciant air, but the muscle under her hand was quivering like a taut wire.

“Like I said,” Amenadiel began steadily, “I have faith. I’m sure it’s all part of God’s plan.”

Lucifer laughed; a sharp, bitter sound. “Yes! If you mean his plan to continually manipulate and control me, then agreed.” His eyes flicked over to Chloe involuntarily and her heart twisted at the reminder that he was with her very much in spite of his Father, not because she’d managed to convince him that her will was her own.

“Luci, do you realize what this means?” The echo of rapture was still on Amenadiel’s face. “Perhaps Father is trying to show you that - that you’ve been forgiven!”

It was too much for Lucifer. “What if I don’t _want_ His forgiveness?” he burst out.

Chloe frowned. If she knew anything, it was that Lucifer didn’t lie, except to himself. She’d had enough experience reading him to know that he did want it, very much.

His desire for approval went against everything she’d ever learned of the Devil, every story (human or Divine) ever told. But then, so did Lucifer. And she knew him, had seen him at his low points as well as his highs, and something settled into place at her realization.

“But, brother…” Amenadiel was still talking. She wished he wouldn’t. “If you can be redeemed, that means anyone can.”

Chloe heard the emphasis he put on the word _you_ , thought about the person who was her best friend and lover. _Even_ him. Like he was the last being in the universe that could ever receive forgiveness, whatever that meant, while just the earthly plane was full of Malcolm Grahams and Perry Smiths and the perpetrators of the horrors she witnessed on a daily basis. But no. Even _him_.

Her fists clenched.

“Now, isn’t that divine?” Amenadiel finished, a beatific smile on his face like he’d cracked the mystery of the universe.

Chloe couldn’t think of anything less so - which she was beginning to understand might be exactly the point.

“What if he doesn’t _need_ forgiveness?” Chloe asked, unable to contain herself any longer, her voice loud in the sudden quiet.

Amenadiel’s eyes shot wide, like she’d just used a filthy curse word, and she could tell the thought had never even occurred to him.

A small strangled sound, a hitch of breath, caught her attention, and she looked over at Lucifer. His face was almost slack with astonishment. He stared at her like a drowning man watching an approaching rescue ship, like she was the first sunrise breaking over the horizon of a benighted world, and she realized it had never occurred to him either.

She wanted to go to him immediately, but there was still the issue of Amenadiel. She advanced on him, and the closer she got, the more the burly angel looked like he wanted to vanish into the floorboards. “Now, I’m no expert on the Bible, but I’m pretty sure there’s a bit in there about taking care of your own shit before you start trying to police someone else’s.” If possible, Amenadiel shrank even more at her words. “So why don’t you go do that, hm? Get out.”

The command was low and quiet. Amenadiel’s eyes flashed to hers in shock. Chloe stood her ground. “You are no longer welcome here. _Get. Out._ ”

Amenadiel went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one correctly guessed last week's song: it was Chvrches, by Zvvl, off the 1x07 soundtrack. I chose it because they referenced the episode when talking about Lucifer's wings in the break room. I think this week's reference is a little more obvious so I'm not offering a snippet this time :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	6. Leave out all the rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times happen in this chapter. I use the three star system so if you want to skip it the section will be bracketed like this *** and you won't miss anything :) Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chloe locked the door, then turned to look at Lucifer. He’d managed to school his expression just slightly, but he was still looking at her with a bewildered kind of awe, like he couldn’t believe that she could actually exist. Hot blood rushed to her cheeks, and she realized she didn’t know what to say to him. She settled for smiling and going over to start the dishes, giving him space if he needed it.

Before too much time had passed, he stepped up beside her, picking up a dish towel. Chloe swallowed her astonishment. _The Devil is doing the dishes_. The thought wasn’t tinged with frantic hilarity, for once; Lucifer was Lucifer, and she suspected he needed something to do with his hands.

They worked together in companionable silence. Once the last dish was put away she leaned against his shoulder, feeling comfortable and at peace, finally coming down off the upheaval of the past weeks.

Lucifer turned to her. “Chloe…” His voice was a low rumble in his chest.

“I love you,” she said. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her to choose this moment to finally say the words, but it felt right.

Lucifer rocked back slightly, like the words had physical form. “You… do, don’t you?” he said, in the same tone in which he’d asked her if their relationship was real.

She didn’t wonder why he had trouble believing any more. She just smiled at him, heart pounding in her chest at his nearness. “That’s why I said it…”

She’d barely gotten the words out before Lucifer was kissing her hungrily, and she tilted backward under his passion as she kissed him in return. For all his urgency, he was gentle, almost hesitant against her, like she were a soap bubble he was afraid to pop. She sighed into his mouth, linking her fingers behind his neck to keep her balance.

A muffled noise from behind them drew both of their attention. Chloe turned to see Trixie peeking around the corner, both hands pressed over her mouth, but not enough to hide her massive grin. Chloe rolled her eyes, but couldn’t actually bring herself to scold her little monkey for spying. Not when Trixie was so obviously thrilled, about something that made her own heart swell to bursting with love. Lucifer was still looking at Chloe like she was the center of his universe, and this was what happiness felt like.

“All right, little lady,” she said, extricating herself from Lucifer, “that’s enough sneaking around. Is your room clean?”

Trixie nodded eagerly, and Chloe reached out to stroke her hair. “I heard yelling,” her daughter said, and Chloe looked at Lucifer, a silent request to let her deal with this.

“That was just grown up stuff, baby. Nothing to worry about. Mommy handled it.”

“You certainly did,” Lucifer commented appreciatively, and Chloe couldn’t help a small, proud smile.

“Okay,” Trixie replied, visibly dismissing the issue.

Chloe was relieved. “I’ll go check your room if you want to pick out a movie?”

Trixie scampered off toward the TV as Chloe looked at Lucifer.

“You still feeling up to this?” she asked quietly. Lucifer nodded.

“Even if I weren’t, I gave my word.”

Chloe let it pass. He was the Devil, and he was older than time. He could handle a movie.

Lucifer might have been given cause for regret when Trixie pressed play and _Frozen_ started up, yet again. Chloe glanced at Lucifer; he just rolled his eyes and settled deeper into the couch.

Trixie, wedged between them, was instantly entranced, singing along word-perfect with all the songs. Chloe knew them all by heart by this point too (and she didn’t doubt Lucifer did as well, though he’d never admit it.) What did surprise her was how invested he seemed to get. His wine sat on the side table, untouched, except for when Elsa went off on her own, and he very quickly drained the entire glass.

Chloe reached around to take his hand at that. He made no outward sign of noticing her movement, but squeezed her hand tightly in return, and he didn’t let go for the rest of the movie.

When the movie was over, Lucifer was uncharacteristically subdued. Chloe bullied Trixie into getting ready for bed, and Lucifer offered no commentary, instead pulling away and pouring himself another glass of wine. He responded to Trixie’s “Goodnight, Lucifer!” with a nod and a wave.

“Is Lucifer still feeling sad?” Trixie inquired as Chloe tucked her in.

“Maybe a little bit, monkey,” Chloe said gently, not sure how she was going to explain what was wrong in terms that Trixie would understand. “I think we can make it better, but we have to be patient, okay? It’s not going to happen all at once.”

Trixie frowned. “But he’s safe now, right? He’s back. Shouldn’t he be happy?”

Chloe settled in next to her to elaborate.

“Lucifer just has a lot to think about right now.” It wasn’t her place to tell Trixie about the wings, even if she could trust her daughter not to get her heart set on the prospect of seeing them, which could only exacerbate the situation. “He was alone in the desert for two whole days, so he’s angry, and maybe even a little scared. But he doesn’t have a family to take care of him.”

Trixie’s eyes were wide and innocent. “But he has us, now.”

Chloe nodded, hoping Trixie couldn’t see the sadness in her smile. “He does, monkey. Trouble is, it’s been so long, he’s forgotten how family works.” _If he ever knew_. “So that’s why we have to be patient with him, until he remembers.”

Trixie nodded pensively. Chloe knew to wait, that another question was coming.

“Why did the bad people try to take Lucifer away?”

Chloe stroked Trixie’s arm. “I wish I knew, baby. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

“Is it because the Internet is mean to him?” Trixie said in a small voice. Chloe had experience following her daughter’s jumps in logic so it only took her a second to connect the dots and realize that what Trixie was really asking was why everyone thought Lucifer was evil - an even bigger issue that wasn’t appropriate for bedtime. But it was still a question that deserved an answer. Chloe sighed.

“That might be part of the reason,” she answered. Whoever had managed to incapacitate Lucifer clearly had some kind of grudge against him.

Trixie looked troubled. “Why is the Internet so mean to Lucifer, Mommy?” she asked. “He didn’t do any of those things.”

Trixie’s faith in Lucifer warmed Chloe’s heart. She really didn’t want to get into this with her daughter right now, but there might be an easier way to help her understand.

“Remember when the mean girl made that fake Snapchat account?” Trixie nodded. “You didn’t do any of those things, right? But some people thought you did, until you told everyone what really happened.” Trixie nodded again.

“But why doesn’t Lucifer just tell everyone the truth?”

Chloe blew out her breath. Another difficult question. “He does,” she reminded her. “But it’s hard to get the word out to so many people when they already think they know the truth. After the mean girl deleted the account, did everything go back to normal right away?”

Trixie shook her head. “People still remembered what happened, and they laughed at me for a while.”

Chloe hugged her daughter tightly, fighting the instinctual surge of protective rage that coursed through her. “That’s right, baby. But what’s important is that we know the truth. His friends. The people who matter. We might not be able to convince everyone, and we have to try to understand when he’s sad, but we also have to treat him like everyone else and not let him do things that are wrong when he’s upset. Okay?”

“Okay.” To Chloe’s relief, Trixie accepted this easily, settling deeper into her covers. “He looked really happy when you were kissing him though,” she said slyly, smiling into Miss Alien.

“You think so?” Chloe asked. Trixie nodded fervently into her pillow. Chloe’s stomach gave a little flip. “Then I’ll just have to keep doing it, won’t I?” She placed a kiss on her daughter’s brow. “Goodnight, monkey.”

“Night, Mommy.”

She closed the door to Trixie’s room and looked out on an empty apartment. She couldn’t see Lucifer.

She experienced a moment of panic, only to let out a sigh of relief when she saw his silhouette outside. He seemed to be having another cigarette. However, that in itself was troublesome. She knew he only really smoked when he was struggling with something.

She let the door close audibly behind her, but he didn’t look up. He’d finished his smoke and was simply staring out into space.

“There you are,” she said, a subtle reminder. He eyed her sidelong as she smiled at him.

“I just… I had to get out of there,” he sighed, and Chloe’s heart sank.

“Too domestic for the Devil?” she teased lightly, and Lucifer huffed a laugh.

“You could say that,” he replied, and she bit her lip.

“Do you… want to leave?” she asked. She wanted him to stay, wanted the reassurance that he was safe and with her. But she also wouldn’t try to keep him here against his will.

He met her eyes full on, and she saw the conflict behind them.

“Part of me wants to,” he admitted. “Lux is… easier.”

She thought she understood. His night job was predictably transient. It didn’t require anything in the way of commitment and wouldn’t drag up unwanted emotions.

“But the other part?” she prompted gently.

Lucifer ran his fingers through the hair behind her ear, fixing some strands that had fallen out of her ponytail. He shrugged, but Chloe could interpret his fear easily enough, given that she felt it too.

She made a low sound and threw her arms around him. After a moment his arms came up to hold her, and he clutched her tightly. She clung to his shoulders as though she could physically keep him with her.

“You will always have a place here, with us,” she said fiercely, and she felt him tremble. “And I’ll fight off whatever I need to to keep it that way.” She pulled back to look in his eyes, and he gave a watery chuckle.

“I believe... that you believe that,” he said, and Chloe figured it was the best she was going to get right now. So she kissed him again, remembering what Trixie had said. He met her lips with such adoration she was breathless when they parted.

“Stay?” she asked.

He nodded, running a gentle hand through her hair again. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me,” he said, and Chloe just giggled, knowing it was no more than the truth.

She sobered as she took his hand. “One day at a time, Lucifer, okay?” she said, and placed another kiss on his cheek. “Come to bed?”

A slow smile spread across his face, and his lips were on hers again before he answered. “I thought you’d never ask.”

There was a certain element of strangeness when they reached her bedroom. Their first and only night together had been several days before, and the protocol was all unwritten. Even if Trixie weren’t downstairs, the past few restless nights had left Chloe far too exhausted for any activity other than sleep, and Lucifer, of course, intuited her mood easily. They went through their separate routines with only a few awkward moments. Lucifer finished first - he was far more used to this sort of thing than she was, after all - and stripped down to his boxer briefs without a hint of self-consciousness.

Chloe, by contrast, dithered over her sleep set and changed in the bathroom, despite the fact that he’d already seen her naked quite often. But when she emerged and saw Lucifer waiting for her in her bed, he looked at her like she was wearing the most mind-blowing lingerie he’d ever seen, and she wondered why she’d been worried. She smiled, face heating, and joined him under the covers, only to have him immediately descend upon her.

She smiled against his skin, heart aching with love for him as he wrapped himself around her. Holding him close, she couldn’t help ghosting curious fingers across the plane of his back, unable to decide whether she was expecting the scars to be there or not.

He shuddered, and she stopped at once. “Sorry,” she whispered, but he shook his head.

“Perhaps… another time,” he suggested, and Chloe acquiesced easily, placing one hand on his shoulder and sinking the other into his hair.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured, as Lucifer pulled her even closer. He was here, in her bed, not out in the desert, not in some kidnapper’s apartment. She felt a knot deep inside loosen that she hadn’t even known was tight. The rasp of his stubble against her cheek as he nuzzled into her shoulder reassured her that this was real. She felt safe. Safer than she ever had, in bed with the Devil, his hot breath on her neck.

“I love you,” she said again, and he pressed an open-mouthed kiss just below her ear, as she felt the words go through his entire body.

“Would you say that again?” His voice was so quiet Chloe nearly missed it even though her head was right next to his. “Just one more time. Please?”

Squeezing her eyes shut against the tears that threatened, she ran her fingers through his hair. She wasn’t even sure if she was supposed to have heard his request, but she had, and it meant she needed to get something straight. “Lucifer, I love you,” she repeated. “I’ll say it as many times as I need to. You’re gonna get tired of hearing me say it.”

“Never gonna happen,” Lucifer assured her, voice muffled by her hair.

She grinned, already on the edge of sleep, exhausted physically and emotionally. “Challenge accepted,” she sighed, as she dropped off.

* * *

 

Chloe woke shaking, a cry locked behind her teeth. She kicked off the covers as she tried to blink away the remnants of her nightmare.

Instantly, Lucifer was there, a careful hand on her shoulder. She jumped, having forgotten where she was, and twisted to meet his dark eyes, which held not a trace of sleep.

“Are you all right?” he asked seriously.

“Lucifer!” She threw herself at him with a sob, locking her arms around his neck, and he embraced her hesitantly, as though he feared she might break.

She couldn’t control her mouth, repeating his name over and over as she clutched him ever tighter, tears welling up and spilling over.

“Darling, what on earth is the matter?” Lucifer sounded bewildered, and slightly alarmed. Chloe took several deep, shuddering breaths as she tried to pull herself together enough to speak.

“I couldn’t find you,” she whispered. She’d rarely had a nightmare so vivid and terror was a living presence in her veins. “You were gone, and I couldn’t find you.”

Lucifer pulled back to look at her, uncharacteristically solemn. Chloe stared into his face, memorizing every line, telling herself over and over that it had just been a dream. He reached out a tentative hand to touch her cheek, and she leaned into his caress, placing her hand over his.

“I asked everywhere, but no one remembered you,” Chloe continued, gripping his hand tighter as she remembered the parade of blank faces staring back at her as she asked with increasing desperation after Lucifer. The concern in his eyes deepened. “I kept looking, but then…” Her breath caught in her chest at the memory of arriving at a door, seeing the tail of an airplane through it, and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt what she was going to find on the other side - Lucifer, lying in a pool of his own blood after being shot by Malcolm, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Thankfully, she’d woken before actually seeing it again, but the real scene was branded behind her eyes.

Chloe shook her head, unable to give voice to the image, but Lucifer seemed to get the general idea. She burrowed her head against his chest, needing to hear the sound of his heart beating, strong and steady against her ear. He rubbed her back, up and down between her shoulder blades. She didn’t think he was aware of it.

“Chloe…” Lucifer was obviously at a loss. “I’m right here, darling. I’m perfectly fine.”

She nodded fervently, still clutching him close. He paused in his motions, pulling back to look at her.

“What do I do?” he asked in a soft voice.

Chloe almost smiled at his earnestness. “Just… let me hold you,” she said, and Lucifer reclined in response, pulling her to nestle atop him. He ran his fingers through her hair as she tried to regulate her breathing. Her own fingers traced aimless patterns on Lucifer’s skin.

It was hardly the first time she’d been wakened by nightmares. She had a dangerous job. She’d dreamed of Dan dying, of Trixie getting hurt… But this hit harder, because in this case, she wasn’t dreaming up some hypothetical worst-case scenario, but something that had already happened.

How many times had she thought she’d lost Lucifer?

“You know,” Lucifer said in a conversational tone, “as much as I’m sorry for your current distress, it is nice to know that someone cares.”

“Ass.” She pinched his arm, delighting in how it made him twitch. Then he laughed, the rumble sending soothing vibrations through his chest. “Of course I care.”

She was realizing that it wasn’t an ‘of course,’ for him, but she kept saying it anyway in the hope that one day it would be.

He pressed a careful kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you,” he murmured. Chloe would have responded, but between the gentle touch of his fingers in her hair and the steady rhythm of his heart beneath her ear, she was already drifting off to sleep again.

***

Chloe came slowly awake, feeling warm, loved, and at peace. The previous night’s terror was erased by the pair of arms wrapped around her. He was still with her, still in her bed. She had nothing to fear.

She inhaled deeply and settled down further under the covers. It was another long, fuzzy moment before she came to the delicious realization that he was _with her_ , in a very different sense, if the hardness currently pressing into her backside was any indication.

Biting her lip, she shifted against him again, and was rewarded by a quiet sound in the back of his throat as he pressed forward, seeking more. She didn’t think he was awake yet, so she wriggled more pointedly.

“...Minx.” It wasn’t a word so much as a rumble of sound, and it sent a bolt of heat directly between her legs. He pulled her more firmly against him, and she shivered pleasantly. “Mm… you _have_ been busy.” His voice was pure sin.

He was still half asleep, Chloe was sure, but while she’d been distracted his hand had been drifting lower, slipping into her shorts with unimpeded dexterity. She hummed, rolling her hips, but Lucifer didn’t act immediately, seemingly content to cup her there until she gave in and squirmed in earnest.

He gave a low chuckle at that and began unhurriedly, moving his long fingers in lazy circles that quickly stoked the heat in her belly into a blaze. She let out a keening moan as he frustrated all her efforts to get his fingers to go where she wanted them.

“My, we are an eager one, aren’t we,” he said, with a teasing nip of her earlobe. It sent another unexpected jolt of pleasure through her, and she pushed back against him again with a noise of assent. She heard his grin.

Lucifer rolled on top of her, kissing her, and she pulled him closer, devouring his lips hungrily. It had been, by her count, entirely too long since the first time, and she was so very ready. She couldn’t remember sex ever being this simple for her before.

“Lucifer…” she sighed as she surfaced for air. Watching as his brow furrowed, she knew the exact moment he came fully awake, and he stilled. He opened his eyes slowly, and they met hers with a stoic expression. Chloe wasn’t sure what was wrong, and she didn’t want to take the time to find out. She arched into him with no attempt at subtlety. “Good morning,” she said with a smile, hoping to entice him past whatever this was before the mood was lost. She reached up to caress his cheek, making another suggestive movement with her hips to relay just how okay with this she was.

Lucifer blinked, and his eyes widened, a look of such intense joy coming over his face that it left Chloe breathless. He was kissing her again before she could recover, and she could do nothing but cling to him, realizing she’d never kissed this Lucifer before, so free and unguarded. She wanted to freeze the moment forever, except for the insistent pressure between her legs that wouldn’t let itself be ignored. She twisted her hips again, and Lucifer’s lashes fluttered.

“Chloe,” he groaned, and she grinned unrepentantly.

But teasing the Devil is generally unwise, as she learned when, seemingly in the space between one blink and the next, their underwear had vanished, and he was thrusting himself home.

Chloe let out a gasp of surprised delight, gripping his shoulders. He lowered his head until their brows were touching, setting a smooth, steady pace. She shifted her hands to his hair, gripping hard, and he shuddered into her with a low grunt. They were both already hovering on the edge, so they didn’t spend long chasing release. Pleasure crashed through her, and she gasped, digging her nails into Lucifer’s back, Lucifer following her over the edge with a strangled sound a moment later.

She came down softly from the high, in time to see Lucifer glancing from side to side, taking in her bedroom in the early morning light filtering through the curtains. The last bit of doubt in his expression was wiped away, and Chloe was glad.

(***)

“Good morning, indeed,” he said, nuzzling her hair. Chloe sighed happily, as she met his lips in a lazy kiss.

Her phone rang, shattering the quiet. Lucifer grumbled about disturbances, and she hushed him laughingly as she picked up. “Decker.”

“ _You’re certainly chipper this morning, Decker_.” Hearing the Lieutenant’s voice while she was in bed with Lucifer was jarring, to say the least, and she instinctively moved to cover herself, sitting up straighter. Lucifer moved too, and she put out a frantic hand to silence him before he said anything. “ _Of course, I’d expect nothing less after you left Espinoza to clean up last night. That’s why I’m assigning you a new case. Don’t bother coming into the precinct today. Just go straight to the pier. I’ll text you the exact location.”_

He hung up without waiting for a response, and Chloe fought the petulant urge to throw the phone down.

“New case?” Lucifer inquired, unbothered, and Chloe nodded with a growl of frustration.

“Why is Pierce such an asshole?” She’d done her due diligence, and it wasn’t even that late - her alarm had yet to go off. But he still managed to make her feel like a child caught doing something she shouldn’t. Lucifer made a noncommittal sound, slipping his hands beneath her tank top, grinning wolfishly.

“Okay, no,” she said, trying to sound firm, just barely managing not to add ‘bad Devil,’ to the end. His tongue darted out to touch his teeth and his eyes sparkled wickedly and Chloe was a hair's breadth away from saying fuck it all and staying in bed with him for the rest of the day.

“Was that a yes or a no, darling?” he drawled, unrepentant, but then her phone buzzed with the new text from Pierce and real life muscled its way in.

“Shower,” she ordered, pushing at Lucifer’s shoulders, and he dropped his hands while she tried not to feel a sense of loss.

“Shower sex?” he inquired, brightening quickly. “Excellent idea!”

“No, no time,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as regretful as she was, starting to extricate herself from the sheets. “Also more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Oh, darling, that just means you’ve never done it properly,” he replied, pouting. “But very well.” He relented at the sight of her expression. “Another time.”

She grabbed his head before he could retrieve his clothing, pulling him in for a hard kiss. “You bet.”

Smirking at the slightly dazed look on his face, she got in the shower.

* * *

 

Her blissful morning seemed years ago and miles away when they finally returned to the precinct. Chloe buried her face in her hands, her white blouse covered in grit and the occasional bloodstain. She now heartily regretted the outfit she’d chosen in a frivolous mood after a teasing shower with Lucifer. She tried to picture the appreciative heat in his gaze when she’d come down for breakfast, Trixie’s excitement at their “sleepover,” or even just their teasing banter when they’d stopped by Lux for a change of clothes, but kept getting pulled back to the image of the gruesome body.

The man, Sam, that Lucifer had tracked down the night before had been fully impaled, still in the same clothes, which meant it had happened soon after he’d been released on bail (Dan filled her in when they’d arrived at the scene.)

“And given that Lucifer was last seen threatening his life…” Dan let the statement trail away under Chloe’s glare.

“He was with me, Dan,” she stated bluntly. Both men looked at her, Lucifer with pleasant surprise.

“ _All_ night,” Lucifer couldn’t help adding. Dan looked away first. Chloe was unsympathetic.

“You can’t seriously think he’d do something like this?” she demanded. “I thought you knew better by now.”

Dan folded his arms. “I don’t, actually,” he said. “I was just saying he might need an alibi. Which it sounds like he’s got.”

Chloe flushed. “Sorry,” she said, embarrassed that she’d jumped to conclusions. Dan just nodded, but Lucifer’s look of surprised gratitude almost made the awkwardness worth it.

They’d spent the rest of the day chasing down fruitless leads until even Lucifer’s enthusiasm started to flag. Given that Sam had been afraid that the Sinnerman was going to come after him, it seemed like finding whoever had killed him would at least point them in the direction of Lucifer’s Most Wanted. But each potential break came to a dead end. It was a frustrating end to a day that had started with such promise.

The scent of caffeine pulled Chloe out of her thoughts and she looked up to find a cup of coffee in front of her. Lucifer settled into his chair across from her with his own cup, a slight smile on his lips.

“Thanks, Lucifer,” she said, taking a sip of the perfectly brewed beverage (or as perfectly as possible in a police precinct, anyway). The gaze he turned on her was oddly understanding.

“Don’t mention it, Detective,” he said. “These sorts of things can be... difficult.”

It hit her that this wasn’t Lucifer’s first impalement. That it potentially didn’t even rank in terms of the horrors he’d seen (and perpetrated) in Hell.

“Yeah,” she said, unprepared for all the new avenues her thoughts had opened up. “Yeah.”

Lucifer’s brow furrowed. “Do you want to go home?”

Chloe shook her head. “No. I want to find this guy. I want to finally be able to put all of this behind us.”

Lucifer looked dubious, but he didn’t argue. She was glad - she didn’t want him treating her differently now that she knew the truth. She’d been at this job a long time, but she didn’t think she’d ever be able to achieve the cool detachment with which Lucifer studied the crime scene photos.

“You know,” he mused, turning the photo of Sam every which way, “at first, I thought it was an emissary on Earth working on Dad’s behalf, but the more I think about it, the more I think maybe this isn’t our Father who art in Heaven at all.” He pronounced the words of the prayer deliberately, closing the file and setting it aside. “I mean, this certainly doesn’t strike me as Dad’s usual MO.”

“Well, that’s good,” Chloe said, relieved that there were some things he wouldn’t blame God for. “But that leaves us with no idea of who this guy is or what his plan is.”

Lucifer raised his eyebrows in disgruntled agreement, taking his flask out of his inside pocket and pouring the contents into his coffee before taking a large swig.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Chloe’s words were prophetic. They faced a whole week of no leads. She watched worriedly as Lucifer, his frustration mounting, became more distant. He was still perfectly solicitous and cordial to her, and their relationship continued in the background, kept alive by secret smiles and casual touches, erotically charged texts, and, once, Chloe pulling him into an alley for an intense make out session when she couldn’t take it anymore.

But he didn’t stay over again, and Chloe had Trixie for the week which meant she couldn’t stay at Lux. The first time he headed home on his own, she was terrified he’d use the time alone to do something about his wings, especially since Linda still wasn’t seeing patients. In the end, she extracted his word that he wouldn’t do anything drastic. She felt badly for how resentful he seemed at her insistence, but the relief she felt at his promise outweighed it.

She knew they needed a more permanent solution, and she threw herself into tracking down the Sinnerman. But the more she searched, the more elusive he became.

And that was also when, out of nowhere, Maze returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title isn't from the Lucifer soundtrack this time so I don't mind telling you it's from the Linkin Park song of the same name.


	7. They're back, aren't they?

Lucifer had just dropped Trixie off from her piano lesson; Chloe poured herself and him a drink, and they’d fallen quickly into the same well-worn topics, talking round and round with no new information. She was just about to change the subject to avoid one or the other of them getting too upset when the door blew open.

Both of them were instantly on their feet, but before they could react further, Maze strode in, dumping her duffel bag onto the counter and tossing her jacket on top of it. She turned and saw them both standing defensively in the living room and opened her mouth to say something, then paused, scenting the air like a bloodhound. She turned hard eyes on Lucifer.

“What. Happened?” she demanded.

Lucifer’s eyes were cold, and his face was set in hard lines. A shiver crept down Chloe’s spine and she realized that while she might have seen his Devil face, she’d never truly seen the Lord of Hell before this moment.

“I had a bit of an unexpected sojourn out in the desert,” Lucifer replied. The words were pleasant enough, but his tone was just north of freezing and Chloe suppressed another shiver.

Maze stood before Lucifer, legs planted, fists clenched, like a soldier giving a report (which, Chloe reminded herself, was sort of what was happening).

“They’re back, aren’t they?” the demon said with certainty, but with a tremor in her voice that Chloe couldn’t quite place. “I can smell them on you.”

In response, Lucifer summoned the wings from wherever he kept them, and they spread across her living room once again. She noticed, however, that he seemed to have more control over them this time, and he didn’t knock anything over despite the cramped quarters.

Maze inhaled sharply. It was only then that Chloe remembered Maze had been the one who cut Lucifer’s wings off in the first place. Chloe couldn’t imagine what that must have been like. She’d been so focussed on Lucifer, she hadn’t thought about what the demon might have gone through.

Maze held Lucifer’s eyes. “I am _not_ doing that again,” she said, adding something in an odd, lilting language that sounded awkward in her mouth. Chloe didn’t need it to be translated though, judging by how Lucifer’s eyes sharpened.

“Very well. I suppose you did.” He folded his wings away again. By now Chloe was mostly inured to the sense of loss she felt when they vanished. She wished Lucifer would let her see them properly, wondered if she might one day even dare to touch them, because she knew instinctively that they were a part of Lucifer and, as such, required love and attention. But that didn’t look like it was going to be a possibility, at least not any time soon. So long as he was refusing to have them out for more than seconds at a time, she didn’t know how to convince him of that.

Maze, on the other hand, looked like she was about to fall over. “How is this possible?” she demanded.

Lucifer sighed, but his presence did not diminish; if anything, it grew as he stood towering over Mazikeen. His face was still set, remote and austere, and the air in the room was just as icy.

“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?” He replied so evenly Chloe found herself searching for his displeasure even though she knew it was there. “I’m rendered unconscious by an unknown assailant and left for dead with my wings tacked back on, while the one with the ability to track me is _conspicuously_ absent.”

Chloe hadn’t thought it possible for the stoic demon to blanch, but Maze did, taking an aborted step forward.

“Lucifer, you don’t think _I-_ ”

“It seems to me,” Lucifer continued, as though she hadn’t spoken, “that we’ve had this particular conversation before, haven’t we, Maze?” Lucifer’s voice was openly dangerous now, and Chloe saw his words hit her roommate. “Something devious and dastardly happens to me and my _loyal_ demon is nowhere to be found.”

Maze scowled. Chloe decided this had gone far enough. She had never been afraid of Lucifer, and that was still true; she knew she could reach the man she was familiar with, even as she gained a new appreciation of how differently he behaved when he was around her.

“Lucifer?” she said softly, and Lucifer’s head snapped around, turning the full power of those fathomless black eyes on her. _Devil_. Chloe swallowed, staring into the face of eternity, and stood her ground. “Come on. You know Maze never answers her phone when she’s off bounty hunting,” she continued.

The slightest hint of doubt crept into his eyes as he looked between her and Maze. Impenetrable as his expression was, Chloe could read his thoughts effortlessly, wondering about the convenience of Maze just happening to be off on a hunt at a crucial time.

“Lucifer…” she said again. There was a pause as he returned the full weight of his gaze to her. The cold calculating look thawed, and he sighed, coming slowly back to himself. He blinked, and suddenly he was Lucifer again. Chloe smiled, fighting the urge to sigh in relief as the tense atmosphere eased.

“Oh, very well,” he relented, going to retrieve his glass. “You were needed, Mazikeen.”

But Maze wasn’t about to roll over. “Yeah, well, I don’t work for you any more,” she said defensively. “And I’m not about to rearrange my schedule just on the off chance some random shit might happen to you - which is all the time, by the way.” Lucifer scoffed. “Besides, I thought all that was done now, after…”

Lucifer put the glass down sharply on the counter. “Yes, well it seems Dad isn’t done toying with me yet.”

Maze visibly swallowed her pride. “I’ll hunt down whoever did this.”

“The Sinnerman?” Lucifer barked a laugh. “Good luck with that. I don’t think he did any of the actual work. If you wanted to make yourself useful, you could find whoever killed our friend Sam down at the pier. That would at least point us in the right direction.”

Maze’s eyes flashed, but she nodded. “I’ll get on it.”

“Maze! You’re back!” Trixie ran in, and the rest of the conversation was effectively put on hold.

“Hey, little human,” Maze drawled, participating in their gruesome secret handshake that Chloe hadn’t managed to find a way to object to yet. She went to Lucifer, only to be stopped by Maze.

“Sorry, Decker,” she said unexpectedly. “I didn’t answer my phone because I thought you wanted to talk about _feelings_ , or whatever.”

Chloe forced down her residual feelings of resentment. Maze being there would have made the past week much easier, but it wasn’t like her absence had been pointed. Chloe mustered a smile. “Trust me, Maze, I know better than to call you to talk about _feelings_ , or whatever,” she assured her.

Maze smirked.“Damn straight.”

She went back to Trixie, and Chloe turned to Lucifer. “You know, since Linda’s just been cleared to start seeing patients again, you should invite her to Lux to celebrate,” she suggested. Maze perked up at the sound of Linda’s name, and Chloe hid a smile. Lucifer still looked dubiously at Maze, so Chloe played her ace. “And Dan’s taking Trixie for the weekend, so…” She slid her hand up to his shoulder. “I might be able to join you.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened. “Are you seriously _offering_ to come to Lux?”

“Mhm.” Chloe nodded. There hadn’t been a Tribe night since Linda was injured, and if she was being honest with herself, both she and Lucifer needed a break. The case had taken its toll on both of them, and while she wasn’t usually a party person, preferring much tamer bars than Lux for her nights out, she couldn’t deny that seeing Lucifer in his element held a certain appeal.

He grinned, and she knew the only thing stopping him from kissing her breathless was her stated rule against anything untoward in front of Trixie, so she relented and kissed him on the cheek. She was glad to be able to make him so happy, with something that didn’t really cost her anything, even if it meant stepping a little out of her comfort zone.

*

“We found him,” Chloe announced, placing the mugshot on the desk. Lucifer had just arrived after his first session back with Linda, and Chloe was excited to share the break in the case with him after their week of frustration, mixed news though it may have been.

Lucifer held the photo between a thumb and forefinger disdainfully. “Who? The missing link? Proof of rodent-human copulation?”

Chloe couldn’t help smiling warmly at him. She’d never admit it, but she’d missed his sense of humour so much. She thought it was a good sign of how his sessions were helping him.

“It’s Mike Alonso,” she informed him. “The guy that skewered your kidnapper under the pier.”

“That’s not the Sinnerman.” Lucifer stated the obvious.

Chloe shook her head. “No. Maze got us the lead before she went off after him. He had motive, no alibi, and he confessed under interrogation. He’s definitely our guy.” She took the photo back.

He frowned, the previous days’ frustration peeking through again. “Right, well, we knew the Sinnerman probably wouldn’t want to get his hands dirty for an underling. Mr. Alonso must be working for him.”

“Sinnerman?” Pierce’s voice broke into their conversation, and they both turned to face him. Wondering how much he’d heard, Chloe felt her heart beat faster. “Big Nina Simone fan?”

“Well, actually, I am,” Lucifer said, before Chloe could reply. “But I was just saying to the Detective-”

“Nothing, nothing,” she hastily interjected. “It’s nothing.” She cringed as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but she needed to make Lucifer stop talking.

Marcus gave her a look. “Are you hiding something from me, Detective?”

“No.” Chloe employed her best poker face.

There was a beat, and then the Lieutenant let it go. “I don’t care; I was just asking.” He handed her a docket. “New case came in, you’re up.”

“Thank you.” She accepted it, and Pierce moved on.

Once he was out of earshot, Lucifer rounded on her. “Okay. Why did you just stop me telling the new lieutenant that we’re on the cusp of the greatest case of our lives?”

Chloe sighed as she started prepping for the new case. “Because I don’t trust Lieutenant Pierce as far as I could throw him,” she admitted. “We still don’t know how you were kidnapped. Olivia got promoted to Chief of Police ages ago, and he just happens to transfer in around the same time you get kidnapped?” she shook her head. “It could just be coincidence, but until we get any kind of conclusive evidence, I think it’s better not to show our hand yet.”

Lucifer didn’t respond as she started filing folders away in her desk. “So far as Pierce knows,” she said, “the Sinnerman is an urban myth, a boogeyman criminals use to hide their bad behaviour - ‘ _oh, the Sinnerman made me do it._ ’”

Lucifer scowled. “Yet another thing he’s stolen from me, being blamed for the bad deeds of men.” He paused. “He can keep that one, actually.”

 _Oh_. Chloe looked up, Lucifer’s words from the case with the Satanists suddenly registering. _To be blamed for every morsel of evil humanity’s endured, every atrocity committed in my name…_ Her heart constricted, and only the fact that they were still at work kept her from embracing him. She settled for touching his hand, trying to impart her sympathy and support.

Lucifer blinked. “Detective?”

She smiled encouragingly at him. “Well, Maze is on it. So let her do her thing, and while she does, let’s focus on this new case, okay?”

Lucifer, wordless, simply nodded.

 

* * *

 

Unfortunately, Chloe was reminded to be careful about what she wished for, as once again, their case coincided with what was happening in their own lives. The victim was a comedian who had accused a rival comedian of stealing jokes, just as Lucifer was wrestling with a rival who was apparently stealing his own identity. In response, Lucifer was predictably volatile, and Chloe had her hands full trying to wrangle the Devil while also trying to solve the case.

But she was also reminded of how good she had it, as in the middle of it all, she claimed one of the conference rooms to go over the threatening emails with Lucifer, trying to contain her laughter as he made an unnecessary amount of dick jokes. His eyes sparkled with mirth, his dimples in evidence for the first time in what seemed like forever. She watched him for long enough that he took notice.

“What? What is it?”

Chloe shook her head. And he wondered why she hadn’t believed he was the Devil before. “Nothing. I just love you, that’s all.”

Lucifer’s breath hitched, and his voice deepened. “That’s hardly nothing, Detective.”

“It’s true, though.” Chloe badly wanted to kiss him, and she found herself frustrated that they had a case for the first time she could recall.

Never one to dwell in the throes of deep emotion, though, she gathered the files together. “I’ll get these to cyber. See if they can trace an IP.” She smiled at Lucifer, loving him so much it ached. “It’s getting pretty late. There’s not much more for you to do here. It’ll take them a while to do their stuff. You can head back to Lux if you want.”

Lucifer shook himself. “Right.” Chloe knew she shouldn’t feel so proud of the fact that she was able to affect him so much but that didn’t stop her. “Then I’ll see you in the morning, Detective.”

Chloe nodded, and then an idea struck her and her smile grew wider. “C’mon. I’ll walk you out.”

Lucifer gave her a strange look, but didn’t protest. She’d barely pulled him around the corner outside the precinct entrance when she found herself pressed up against the wall, his lips demanding against hers. She had no objections.

“Is there any particular reason we’re being so secretive?” he inquired. Chloe frowned. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was ashamed of him.

“We’re not being secretive; it’s called professionalism,” she argued. Lucifer’s pointed gaze took in their current surroundings, ensconced in a dirty corner.

“Oh yes, very professional,” he commented.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Shut up,” she said, and to her surprise, he did, though it was possible the press of her lips onto his had something to do with it.

Lucifer panted as they parted. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to Lux tonight?”

Chloe shook her head regretfully, running her fingers down his lapels. “Not while we’re on a case, Lucifer,” she reminded him. “I promise, as soon as we’re done.”

Lucifer sighed, as if her desire was the most difficult wish in the world for him to fulfill. “Very well, Detective.”

She grinned, unable to resist pulling him back in for another kiss. “See you tomorrow.”

She stood, watching him walk toward his car, jacket slightly askew, lips kiss swollen, and thought the morning couldn’t come soon enough.

*

Lucifer took the elevator to his penthouse, still stunned by what had happened at the precinct. He’d spent the entire day fuming, filled with rage, intent on bringing down their killer since he couldn’t get his hands on the Sinnerman, and Chloe had still sat across from him in that darkened conference room and told him that she loved him. Again. For no reason that he could discern. It was baffling.

“What do you mean you haven’t found any traces?” He’d called Maze to get an update on her search for the Sinnerman and her news had been less than encouraging. He put the phone to his ear as he poured himself a drink. “Yes, I know the trail’s gone cold by now, but surely you should be able to…” He switched the phone to his other ear as Maze’s voice began to fade in and out at a very convenient point in the conversation. “Right. Stop pretending the call is cutting out, Maze. I taught you that trick. Maze? Mazikeen!” But the line was dead.

Sighing in frustration, he was about to stopper the bottle when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Reflected in another bottle, he saw the shape of the lieutenant, whose unexpected appearance immediately put him on the defensive.

He turned to face the intruder, thinking only about how Chloe’s instincts had been proven right once again.

“Lucifer Morningstar,” Pierce intoned, standing in the middle of his penthouse like he hadn’t a care in the world. “I’ve figured out who you really are.”

*

Chloe had a bright smile for Lucifer in the morning but the Devil had no time for pleasantries.

“I had a rather illuminating conversation with our new Lieutenant last night,” he informed her.

She frowned, immediately on alert, pulling him over to her desk. “What? How?”

Lucifer grimaced. “He was at my penthouse when I arrived.”

“ _What_?” Chloe glanced around and lowered her voice. “What was he doing there?”

“He warned me not to talk about the Sinnerman. He actually knows something about him. Says he crossed paths with him in Chicago, which is why he’s here.”

Chloe’s eyebrows shot up. “I knew it. So he _is_ connected somehow.”

“Yes, as usual, your instincts were right on the money, Detective,” Lucifer said proudly. “I’m not sure what to make of him with respect to our mysterious adversary, however.”

“What makes you say that?” Chloe asked, blushing faintly from the praise, as well as the casual way he said _our_.

“He claims the Sinnerman killed someone close to him.”

Chloe swore, but before she could say anything further, Dan joined them.

“Cyber tracked all the emails to the same IP address,” he announced. Chloe blinked, dragging her focus back to the case. “A comedy club on Sunset called the Laughmaker.”

“So do we think he works there?” Chloe asked, pushing the issue with Marcus to the back of her mind to be dealt with later.

“Maybe,” Dan answered. “The emails were always sent Thursday nights at eight p.m.”

“And that’s when Bobby’s show aired,” Chloe mused. “So it makes sense that that could set him off.”

“Yeah, it’s also when they have open mic night,” Dan added, “so it could be any one of the comedians performing too, or a diehard fan. Either way, they’re consistent.”

Chloe nodded. “It would make sense that the killer could be at the next open mic night.”

“Which is tonight,” Dan supplied.

“So how do we draw him out?”

“Easy,” Lucifer chimed in, and Chloe braced herself. “Arrest everyone in the club and pull their pants down. Tiniest weenie wins, for once.”

“ _Or_ ,” Chloe suggested, shaking her head at the _actual Devil_ who was still grinning suggestively, “our guy is clearly sensitive, right? Why don’t we use that to flush him out?”

“What, get someone on stage who’ll really piss him off?” Dan asked. “Yeah, that could work.”

“And I think we all know the perfect man for that job,” Lucifer said, and Chloe nodded as both he and Dan said “You,” at the same time. They looked at each other.

“What?” Dan gaped, as Lucifer tutted.

“Oh, come now, Daniel, you’re the one with the improv skills,” Lucifer chided.

Dan scowled. “I told you. Improv and stand up are nothing alike. You treat everything like it’s a joke. You could at least get on stage and tell some.”

“Guys!” Chloe stepped in before things could get out of hand. “Dan, Lucifer’s right. You’re apparently the one with experience.”

Dan shook his head in disbelief. Lucifer was nearly beside himself with glee. But the truth was she didn’t trust Lucifer to stick to the script, though the thought of the Devil doing standup was objectively hilarious.

“The show’s not until tonight” she said. “That’s plenty of time for you to come up with some material.” Unable to resist, she added, “Maybe you could ask Lucifer for help. You guys could work on it together.” With a smirk at both men’s incredulous looks, she walked off to the break room to grab a coffee.

*

“Detective, I feel I must apologize,” Lucifer said in the car on their way to the sound stage to investigate Sheila. “I spoke thoughtlessly.”

Chloe blinked at him in astonishment. It took her a moment to remember what he was talking about - his offhand comment about needing a “term” while they’d been interrogating the comedian who’d sent their victim the threatening emails. _Devil bunnies? Oh, I know - Lucifans!_

“Thanks, Lucifer. That means a lot to me,” she said, putting a hand on his leg, fully aware of the rarity of an actual apology from the Devil. “I’m not upset about it, though.”

Lucifer looked over at her dubiously, and she found herself forced to elaborate. “I mean, sure, I’m not thrilled about the reminder that you’ve slept with most of the adult population of L.A. but I have to admit it’s a convenient term to have. And for the record,” she continued before Lucifer could reply, “it’s got nothing to do with you, or them. I’m not judging. It’s just… sometimes I wonder how I could possibly measure up,” she admitted.

Lucifer was silent for so long that Chloe looked over at him.

“That implies there’s actually the possibility of competition,” he said softly, looking at her with stars in his eyes, and Chloe found her face heating up for the second time that day.

She punched his shoulder in retaliation. “Quit making me blush!” Lucifer rubbed the spot where her fist impacted, grinning. She turned her attention back to the road, overwhelmed by the evidence that the _Devil_ , somehow, loved her this much. That he had his choice of literally anyone on the face of the planet, and he’d chosen _her._

Then a sudden thought struck her, and she smirked over at him. “Does that make me your biggest _fan_?” she asked teasingly, and Lucifer gave a startled laugh.

The levity didn’t last long, however. There was nothing creepier than a poorly lit backstage at night.

“Detective, are you sure Sheila’s here?” Lucifer asked as they explored with penlights, echoing her own thoughts. She certainly wouldn’t want to spend any extra time here.

“Her roommate said that she’d be here working on new jokes, so…” Chloe let her voice trail away. Puppets. Why did it have to be puppets?

“I still don’t understand,” Lucifer said - he, of course, was completely unaffected by their surroundings. “She seemed devastated when Bobby said he was a joke thief.”

“Well, maybe she wasn’t upset about the theft,” Chloe suggested, her voice lowering.

“What else would she be angry about?” Lucifer asked reasonably.

“Let’s find out,” Chloe replied.

“As if these puppets weren’t creepy enough,” he muttered under his breath, and Chloe glanced over at his sarcastic tone, wondering if he was patronizing her.

When Lucifer snuck up behind her wearing the clown mask, she nearly had a heart attack.

“At least I don’t have a gun up my bum,” he joked as Chloe took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.

“If you’re not going to take this seriously,” she intoned, voice sharp with residual fear, “then you wait here for me.”

Lucifer sobered quickly and tossed the mask away, looking so remorseful that Chloe paused.

“I’m sorry, Detective.” His words rang with sincerity. “I didn’t realize you were coulrophobic; it was not my intention to distress you.”

At the sight of his widened eyes, Chloe bit back a remark about jump scares being a regular bundle of laughs, wondering why he was so apprehensive. Then she remembered that for eons it had been his job to torture humanity with their deepest fears, and she put a hand on his arm.

“Lucifer, it’s okay,” she said, as he watched her almost desperately. “Sure, I hate clowns, but they’re not like... my deepest fear or anything. It’s more the fact that I’m _armed_ and could have _shot_ you.”

The lines of his face relaxed slightly. “Darling, quick as you may be on the draw, I assure you that I would have more than enough time to dodge, even if you’d already had your gun in your hand.”

“Still,” Chloe said as her breathing regained a normal rhythm. “Not the greatest idea. Okay? We need to focus.”

“Understood,” Lucifer replied, still looking contrite, and she patted his arm.

“I think it’s best if we split up. Not because I’m upset,” she reassured him. “This place is massive, but we should still be within shouting distance.”

He nodded reluctantly, but did as she said, and Chloe was briefly blindsided by the thought of the power that she apparently wielded.

 _Don’t think about that now_ , she admonished herself, because that way lay a whole slew of thoughts she wasn’t ready to have yet. _Focus on the case._

*

“ _Detective?_ ” Lucifer’s voice on the phone was dripping thinly veiled uncertainty, and she cursed inwardly, knowing she should have made the fact that she wasn’t holding his actions against him more explicit. After they’d arrested Sheila, Lucifer had vanished, leaving Chloe with a sick feeling in her stomach. It felt like ages since Lucifer had pulled that particular stunt. She didn’t need Linda to tell her how big of a deal it was that he was continuing to reach out, not retreating into himself the way she’d seen him do so many times.

“Hey, Lucifer.” She tried to infuse as much love and welcome as she could into her voice. “I’m glad to hear from you. What’s up?”

There was a pause. Chloe knew Lucifer well enough by now to be able to picture his face as he mentally reshuffled. “ _Ah, that is… I was wondering if I might stop by this evening._ ”

Chloe smiled widely. “Perfect, I was just about to ask if you wanted to come over.”

“ _You were?_ ” He audibly recovered his aplomb. “ _Well, that works out perfectly, then. I’ll see you soon_.”

When he arrived at her door with flowers, her heart melted, and she had to keep from throwing herself at him and flattening the bouquet.

“Oh, Lucifer…” Tears stung her eyes. He was trying so hard. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do all this.” She took the flowers gingerly, knowing that it was likely a professional arrangement, probably costing more than she spent on groceries. They also smelled amazing.

“But I upset you.” His incomprehension was plain on his face. Chloe set the bouquet aside as she closed the door.

“Come here,” she said, and she pulled him in for a kiss. He went willingly enough, lips tentative against hers, but she persisted until they weren’t any longer, and she had to break the kiss before it evolved into activities that weren’t suitable for Trixie proximity. He stared after her, eyes slightly glazed, and she tugged on his lapels.

“You startled me, yeah,” she told him. “But you apologized, and I got over it, and we closed the case. No walking on eggshells, remember? I’m not going to cut you off after one mistake…” _Oh._

She cupped his face in her hands, making sure she had his attention. “Lucifer? I’m not going to give up after one mistake. Not on you, not on us. It’s gonna take a lot more than that to get rid of me, okay? None of it makes me love you any less.” Her voice was shaking and she knew she should probably lower it, but she needed him to understand this, needed him to know with absolute certainty that she wasn’t constantly on the cusp of walking away.

Lucifer’s eyes were red-rimmed, and he pressed his forehead to hers, as though holding up his head suddenly took too much effort. “Chloe…”

She was hardly holding back tears herself and hoped that she’d finally managed to get through to him. She wasn’t his Father, to cast him down and vilify him for all eternity, and he wasn’t Dan, steadfast in making the same mistakes over and over, yet expecting to get by.

She held him close. “So, you startled me, and I don’t react well to being startled. It’s really not that big a deal, Lucifer.” She had a bit of a laugh in her voice. “I’m actually glad that you felt comfortable enough to try to joke with me. There’s just a time and a place, all right? I’m sorry you thought I was so upset with you.”

Then he was kissing her, and though he didn’t say the actual words, this time, his love and devotion rang out in every touch.

“Now,” Chloe said when they could finally bring themselves to part, ruffling the hair at the back of his neck before smoothing it down again, “let’s get these in water, and I’ll pour you a drink.” She admired the bouquet as she picked it up again - roses, purple hyacinths and hydrangeas in blooming profusion. “Lucifer, they’re gorgeous!”

Looking faintly relieved that the emotional stuff was out of the way, Lucifer leaned against the counter. “I’m glad you like them,” he said, voice still rough. “It’s what happens in all the movies, so I thought they must be required.”

Chloe grinned at him as she began to fill her largest vase, thinking she’d have to remember to take a picture for Linda later. “Not required, Lucifer. But appreciated. Trixie’s gonna love them too.”

Though she tried not to make the comparison, she couldn’t help but be struck by the differences between this and the corner store bouquets Dan sometimes used to pick up for her when they were fighting. The price was inconsequential; what mattered was the intent. Lucifer had gotten them because he truly wanted to apologize and thought they were a necessary part of that. Dan had presented them in place of any genuine feeling.

“Speaking of the child…” Lucifer began, as he poured them drinks.

“What about Trixie, Lucifer?” she asked, pausing as she raised her drink to her mouth.

Lucifer spun his glass in his hands, contemplating the liquid within rather than look at her. “After you left, the new Lieutenant called me into the office to talk about the Sinnerman.” Chloe’s eyes narrowed. The more she heard about Marcus and his odd fixation on Lucifer the less she liked it.

“He told me he’d done some investigating of his own, which apparently confirmed that the Sinnerman is indeed active in L.A. Nothing we didn’t already know,” Lucifer continued. “More significantly…” He looked at her, then. “He warned me again not to talk about the Sinnerman. To anyone, but especially you.”

Chloe felt cold.

“Now, he says it’s because you have a child, and while I’m not sure I believe that, I quite agree with his sentiment, actually, so I give you my word, that no harm will come to you or Beatrice whilst I still draw breath.”

Chloe could only nod, wordless in the face of his declaration. She knew. He’d saved her so many times. Given his life for her, and Trixie. Their guardian Devil.

He drew closer, his eyes dark and heavy, and Chloe was reminded yet again that he was ancient of days and practically omnipotent. He knew exactly what he was doing, was fully aware of the lengths that such a vow might drive him to. And yet he didn’t even hesitate.

She went willingly into his arms, and Lucifer ran a hand through her hair, staring intently at her face. “I will _not_ allow the Sinnerman to take you from me.”

“Lucifer…” She kissed his cheek. “I have no intention of being taken, either. All right? We’ll figure this out.”

“Together?” Lucifer asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Chloe nodded, grinning. “Now you’re getting it.”

His expression lightened slightly, but his brows still furrowed. “That may be easier said than done. Lieutenant Pierce called Mr. Alonso back in, and I had a nice _chat_ with him.” The emphasis he placed on the word left her in no doubt about what had occurred. “He truly has no connection to the Sinnerman, or at least he truly believes he doesn’t.”

Chloe sighed. It was just one dead end after another. She could see why most people who knew about him believed the Sinnerman didn’t exist.

“So what do we actually know?” Chloe pulled away as her brain began to whir, snagging her as-yet untouched drink as she drifted into the living room and began to pace. “The Sinnerman was in Chicago, where he killed someone close to Pierce.”

“Fairly recently, too, if he’s to be believed,” Lucifer added, watching her. He lounged against the counter, the picture of careless indolence beneath which lurked a panther coiled to pounce.

“Well, the jury’s still out on that one,” Chloe reminded him, and he inclined his head, conceding the point.

“True, but he all but admitted he ran straight here from Chicago,” Lucifer told her. “And men like him don’t admit to things like that.”

Chloe took a thoughtful sip. “So either Pierce followed the Sinnerman to L.A. or vice versa; regardless, both of them arrived at around the same time. And he apparently has it out for you.”

Lucifer nodded curtly.

“He hired Sam to kidnap you... but Sam was human, right?”

“Most likely, yes,” Lucifer confirmed.

“Okay.” Chloe accepted it for now; his supernatural status or lack thereof was mostly a moot point since he was dead. “And the guy who killed him, Mike Alonso, apparently did it for revenge and had no connection to the Sinnerman.”

“Looks that way,” Lucifer agreed, and Chloe bit her lip.

“We already assumed that whoever took you had a celestial weapon, since I wasn’t nearby,” she recalled. “So either the Sinnerman was the one who knocked you out or he gave the weapon to Sam…”

“Doubtful,” Lucifer interjected, and Chloe looked at him. “From the look of the poor sod, he wouldn’t have been able to handle the smallest iota of divinity. The mere sight of my wings turned him into a gibbering wreck. He couldn’t have wielded a celestial weapon.”

“Fine. So the Sinnerman knocks you out, outside of the range of the hospital camera, but then he hands you over to Sam to drag out to the desert? Why would he do that?”

Lucifer shrugged expressively. Chloe huffed - none of this made any sort of sense.

“Oh,” Lucifer said, “and we can assume that whatever - or _Whoever_ \- gave me back the wings did so after the initial nabbing. Sam said that he didn’t notice them until we were already in the desert.” Chloe nodded - it was a clue, though not a very useful one right now.

“Which is another thing,” she said thoughtfully. “We all thought these guys were smart, because they took you outside the range of cameras and all that. But you said they were-”

“A couple of whining idiots in a basement, yes,” Lucifer agreed.

Chloe shook her head. “It doesn’t add up,” she muttered. “Why would a big bad crime boss with a reputation for being a literal ghost hire a bunch of morons, especially when _you’re_ the target?” She made an oblique gesture to encompass his general Luciferness.

Lucifer tossed back his drink. “Well, they may have simply been unprepared for someone of my… stature,” he suggested. “I mean, they used _ropes_ , of all things,” he scoffed, and Chloe almost felt sorry for the would-be kidnappers, easily able to picture the scene. “Though they did also try to taze me, which given that you weren’t around was actually a mildly pleasant experience.”

Chloe just shook her head at the thought of any human trying to torture the torturer. “We’re still missing something, not least of which is how Pierce is connected,” she summed up, not wanting to dwell on it. “Hopefully we’ll get answers when Maze finds the Sinnerman.”

Lucifer made a doubtful sound, putting his glass back against the counter. “Things aren’t looking good on that front either. The trail’s gone cold. Maze says she’s having trouble finding traces.”

Chloe sighed. “Of course she is.” A literal demon ninja on their team, and they still couldn’t catch a break. It put them in the unfortunate position of having to wait for whatever was to come, rather than being proactive. “Well, whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.” She walked over to link their fingers together.

Lucifer looked from their joined hands to her face with surprise that turned to resolve. He leaned down to plant a hard kiss on her lips that left her reeling. “I love you,” he murmured against her skin.

Chloe’s breath caught, and she surged forward to catch him in a much deeper kiss, that lasted until a small voice brought them back to reality.

“Ooh! Pretty flowers!”

Chloe broke away, turning to give Lucifer time to compose himself. “Yeah, Lucifer brought them, baby.”

Trixie gave Lucifer an appraising look. “You did good,” she pronounced. “Props.” She held out a fist. Lucifer, clearly baffled, touched it tentatively with his own, and Trixie grinned, fit to split her face before turning to Chloe.

“Does this mean you’re done with your work talk, Mommy?” she asked.

“Yes, monkey,” Chloe replied. “Go get into bed, and I’ll read you your bedtime story.” She smiled up at Lucifer. “Stay?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “If I must,” he said, sighing, but smiled back at her after Trixie had run off.

 

In bed that night, Lucifer held her close, hand meandering a lazy pattern along her back and arm, the motion of which was quickly putting her to sleep.

“What _is_ your greatest fear, Chloe?” he asked quietly, his voice scarcely disturbing the silence. It was a tentative question, like the man for whom no subject was off limits considered it taboo. Chloe pulled back slowly to look at him.

“If anything were to happen to Trixie,” she said. “Or… if I lost you. I don't know what I'd do.”

Lucifer let her pull him closer, slipping his leg between hers as he stroked her face.

“You'll never have to find out,” he promised. “I'll make sure of it.”

Chloe nodded into his shoulder, trying to think of other things - she didn’t need more nightmares. But fears seemed larger in the darkness, and the words were coming out of her mouth before she was aware of them.

“I'm pretty sure that's what I would see, if I ever…” Her voice trembled and cut off as Lucifer gripped her so tightly it was nearly painful.

“You are _not_ going to Hell, Chloe. Not ever; not for a single moment.” His voice burned with resolve, and Chloe knew that if she looked, he'd be wearing his Lord of Hell face. “The only reason I spent so long there was because I accepted my punishment; since I left, I've been mostly content to live and let live so long as Dad leaves me be. But all that will change if He tries to keep you out. I will raze the gates of the Silver City and carry your soul there myself. I will bring the War in Heaven I have never sought before I let Him…” His voice was growing louder and wilder and he controlled it with difficulty.

Chloe was stunned. It wasn’t like she was ignorant of the implications that came with choosing to be on Lucifer’s side so wholeheartedly, nor of what the likely consequences would be. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew Hell was no bundle of laughs. But she also wasn’t too keen on the idea of spending her eternity somewhere Lucifer wasn’t, with the people who had hurt him so much in the first place.

But those were thoughts for another time. For now, she needed to calm her Devil before he flew completely off the handle.

“Lucifer, shh. It’s okay,” she soothed, carding her fingers through his hair. “Besides, if I do go to Hell, I figure knowing the boss can’t hurt,” she added, trying to lighten the mood, but Lucifer just gripped her tighter.

“I’m _retired_. Chloe, don’t ask me to imagine you in Hell,” he said roughly. “Do not.”

“Okay,” Chloe agreed easily. She didn’t much like to think about it herself. They’d cross that bridge when they came to it, if at all. “Okay. I’m certainly not planning on going anywhere for a long while yet, don’t worry about that now.”

Lucifer didn’t answer, and she knew they were both thinking the same thing: that her human lifespan was hardly a drop in the ocean when compared to his, and that her remaining years weren’t even a second in his eternity. But Chloe felt an odd sense of peace. She still stood by her intention of giving Lucifer’s Dad a piece of her mind if she were ever given the opportunity, and she was prepared to accept the consequences, no matter what they were. After all, she knew a guy.

She huffed a laugh into Lucifer’s shoulder, and his head turned towards her in silent question.

“Just… maybe try to keep the Earth out of it?” she murmured into his ear, pushing aside the fact that this was actually a serious request. “After all, Trixie will hopefully still be around.”

He made a low sound at the back of his throat that might have passed for laughter, and Chloe decided she’d take it, all things considered.

“I’ll take it under advisement.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she felt herself drifting off to a sleep untroubled by nightmares, because how could it be? She had a guardian Devil.


	8. Talking Bodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to Lux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically a pure fluff chapter, with Lucifer and Chloe frolicking. It gets E rated at times - I use the same three star system as always! You're okay to stop at *** if you're more comfortable skipping! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

If Chloe had worried that Lucifer would become withdrawn after their conversation the previous night, she needn’t have. She woke to find him reprising his role as octopus. The double whammy of his disheveled curls and clinging protests meant she barely managed to turn him out of bed and get him into the shower. Once there, she discovered she’d used up her stores of willpower for the day, resulting in a much longer shower than she’d intended, as Lucifer used his superior height and strength to overcome the difficulties of shower sex. He took her enthusiastically against the wall while she wrapped her legs around his waist and hoped the sound of the water would drown out her moans of encouragement.

Eventually, Chloe managed to pull herself together and turn her thoughts to the coming day. Lucifer had another appointment with Linda to make up for the time she’d missed in recovery, and Chloe had paperwork to do at the precinct, but assuming no cases came up, tonight was a Lux night.

She couldn’t control the flutter in her chest that appeared whenever she thought about the coming evening that was equal parts anticipation and apprehension. In the morning, as she sat sipping her coffee, she watched Lucifer putter around the kitchen making breakfast, the flowers he’d brought a bright splash of sun-drenched colour on the counter. Without the real world encroaching, yet, she found it easy to look forward to what the night might bring.

When the time came, however, Chloe was having second thoughts. They were upstairs in the penthouse, and Lucifer breezed through to the bar, primped and coiffed and ready to receive his adoring public. He looked impeccable in his three-piece suit - he’d chosen the vest she liked and a deep plum shirt to compliment it - and she bit her lip, reluctant to break the mood.

Lucifer turned, drink in hand, and saw her sitting in the living area, still in her robe. His brow furrowed.

“Is that what you’re wearing?” he asked. “Not that I particularly object, but it is a bit outside the dress code…”

Chloe shook her head; she had a dress picked out, one that Linda had said would “knock Lucifer out” (Maze had been more explicit in her wording). The overt sexuality of the dress, while intentional, was part of the problem, though.

“Something’s troubling you,” Lucifer deduced. “What is it?” He stepped closer. “Afraid you might actually be about to have some fun for once?” He smiled winningly at her, and she could see how much he wanted this. For them to spend time together in his world. Her heart sank. He asked so little of her; she truly did want to do this for him.

“Not exactly.” She rose, playing with the tie of her robe. “I just… I’m worried about what might happen.”

“What do you mean, darling?” His smile faded slightly. “Surely, you know you’re safe with me.”

“Of course I do.” She touched his arm. “That’s not it. I just realized that, up until now, we haven’t spent a whole lot of time together in public that’s not for work.”

Lucifer’s expression closed infinitesimally. “You don't want to be seen with me?”

“Not the way you think!” Chloe hastened to explain. “All I’m saying is, I’m not exactly a no-name, much as I might wish I was - look at how fast that old picture of me was dredged up on all the tabloids when we had that run in with the paparazzi.” She frowned. “All it’ll take is one person recognizing me and taking a picture of us, and it’ll be all over everywhere.”

Lucifer still looked baffled and slightly hurt. “It’s not like it’s a secret that we’ve been working together. If you wanted to avoid images of us circulating, it’s assuredly too late.”

Chloe shook her head, pulling him down for a kiss. She was relieved when she felt him return it, though belatedly.

“Not like this,” she murmured against his mouth.

“Ah,” Lucifer said.

“I don’t want anyone questioning our ability to work effectively together, that’s all,” she admitted.

“Well we’ll just have to prove them wrong if they do, won’t we?” Lucifer replied. “It’s not as though it’s forbidden, else you and Dan wouldn’t have been allowed to work together.” His very reasonable argument was coupled with a sensuous caress, and Chloe struggled to remember her objections (or, indeed, why they had to go downstairs at all).

“Partners…” She forced herself to focus as Lucifer’s lips brushed the crook of her neck. “Partners aren't allowed to be _involved_ ,” she explained. “And because you’re a civilian it’s even worse; it looks like favoritism. If you were anyone else you’d be fired immediately…” She sighed the last word as he delicately licked the spot just behind her ear.

“Fortunately, I’m not anyone else.” His voice was a teasing rumble against her ear. Wasn’t that the truth. She clung to her last coherent thought with both hands.

“Lieutenant Pierce…” Chloe gasped, arching her neck. “I can’t - _ah_ \- figure out his angle, and you’re on thin ice with him already.”

“Let me worry about the lieutenant,” Lucifer murmured. Damn it. She was hardly keeping herself upright, and he was still holding his tumbler. She was tempted to just agree and drag him to bed. Instead, she drew on reserves of willpower she didn't know she had, stepping back slightly to regard him.

“I don’t think you can deal with Pierce the same way you did Monroe,” she said, and Lucifer arched a brow.

“While I have no doubt that I _could_ deal with Pierce the same way I did Olivia, I have no intention of doing so,” Lucifer assured her, suddenly serious. “Nor of making overtures to any partner without your approval.” He didn’t have to say any more. It was obvious how abhorrent he found the notion.

Chloe nodded. “I know.” She did know. Her own deep-seated insecurities had nothing to do with Lucifer. She didn’t question his commitment to her, only her worthiness of that commitment.

Lucifer didn’t look appeased. “Since, apparently, this needs to be said,” he began, setting down his tumbler,“no one, downstairs or at the office or anywhere else, is fit to hold a candle to you. They hold not the slightest interest for me. You are infinitely superior in every way that matters.”

Chloe stared into his eyes, blushing furiously.

“Lucifer,” she muttered. “That’s not true…”

“It is,” he insisted, taking her shoulders. “In every way _that matters_ ,” he repeated. “I told you the truth about me, and you’re still here. With me. Like this.” He demonstrated by caressing her jawline, and Chloe leaned automatically into his touch.

There was a light in Lucifer’s eyes as he watched her. “If I had another of your lifetimes,” he said earnestly, “I couldn’t begin to tell you what that means to me. How impossible it ought to be.”

“Not impossible,” Chloe protested. Lucifer smiled the small, true smile that he showed so rarely.

“No. Miraculous.”

Chloe had to kiss him then, her hands at the back of his neck to avoid mussing his hair. When she came up for air, he was still looking at her, like he hadn’t closed his eyes during the whole kiss.

“All right?” he asked, and Chloe nodded. The expression on Lucifer’s face was fond. He was intimately familiar with how she tended to overthink things, after all. “Let me handle the lieutenant, and any issues that might arise from our debauchery tonight.”

Chloe scoffed at the term _debauchery_ , but allowed him to assuage her worries. She couldn’t deny that he was in a unique position to do both things, and that she’d let her mind run away with her in her nervousness.

“Besides,” Lucifer said, pulling away to return his drink to the bar, “I imagine everyone assumes we were already sleeping together, proof or no proof.”

She had to admit that was probably accurate; if she were any other woman, it would have been. She couldn’t shake the niggling worry about what Pierce would do if there was actual proof of their involvement, though she pushed it to the back of her mind and smiled at Lucifer.

“Well. Let’s go prove them right,” she suggested, and Lucifer’s eyes darkened in approval, his tongue darting out to touch his upper lip. She made a shooing motion with her hands. “You go on ahead while I get ready. I’ll meet you down there.” Her directive had two purposes: to ensure she made the grandest possible entrance, and to display her trust in him.

“Very well,” he said, giving her a look that said he knew exactly what she was doing as he got in the elevator. “Just don’t keep me waiting too long, darling.”

Chloe shook her head. “I promise.”

* * *

 

The thump of the bass grew more pronounced during her ride down to the club, and Chloe tried not to fidget. She would have preferred to remain under the radar tonight, but this time, at least, she knew she had to put on a show. The more attention she drew now, the easier the road ahead of her would be, convincing the world that Lucifer Morningstar was no longer single.

Her outfit had been chosen with this in mind. The bright red dress sparkled as it hugged every curve, with long sleeves and a modest neckline - but it ended at mid-thigh and was also backless. She’d left her hair loose but curled, cascading over one shoulder.

The confident woman who stepped out of the elevator did not at all resemble the nervous wreck who’d entered it. Her calm gaze swept over the crowd of partiers until it lighted on Lucifer. The moment she arrived, he turned his head toward the landing as though he were drawn on a string, and she wondered distantly if his preternatural hearing had caught the arrival of the elevator.

His reaction was everything she’d hoped for. His eyes blazed, raking over her with such obvious appreciation and lust that half the club turned just to see what he was looking at. She ignored them because she’d freeze if she thought too much about their scrutiny, instead holding Lucifer’s eyes as she descended the stairs; luckily, the easiest thing in the world to do. He watched her like the rest of the room - the rest of the world - didn’t exist.

He extended his hand for hers as she approached, placing a kiss on her knuckles. Chloe was already asking herself how he’d managed to make such a chaste gesture ooze sensuality before he was turning her hand over, pressing his lips to the inside of her wrist, raising his eyes to observe her reaction. She shivered slightly under the heat of that gaze before lifting her chin, a silent challenge. A slow smirk spread across his face. He reeled her in to consume her lips, still holding his drink in one hand, his other hand sliding down to brush her waist. All she could do was cling to his shoulders and gasp.

“What did I tell you?” he asked in her ear. He traced the bare skin of her back, and his touch was like fire. “Exquisite.”

Nestling her securely under one arm, he sauntered over to the bar, as the crowd parted for them. Chloe didn’t fail to note the looks that many of the patrons exchanged - a mixture of awe, surprise, and disappointment that their host (though _Lord_ was the first word that came to mind; seeing him in action, she understood far better the draw Lux held for him) had made his selection so early. She fought to contain a smirk. _Mission accomplished_. For now, at least.

Maze and Linda were sitting waiting for them, watching their approach with very similar knowing smiles. Ella had been tied up with another case, but had insisted that they go on without her, and Chloe had to admit that she was looking forward to a celestial insiders evening. Lucifer escorted her to her seat and then called for shots.

“Nice entrance, Chloe.” Linda leaned in approvingly. Maze just punched Chloe in the shoulder - she was prepared enough to brace herself so she didn’t fall off her stool.

Chloe winced. “Just get me some booze so I can forget that the entire club is watching us.”

Linda patted Chloe’s arm reassuringly, but Maze shrugged. “Oh, they’ll forget all about it soon enough,” she said, as Lucifer distributed their drinks. Chloe wasn’t so sure, but she supposed it didn’t matter either way as they all raised their glasses in salute.

“To Doctor Linda,” Lucifer said. He smiled, relief apparent in his eyes, as well as the fear that he’d nearly lost her, and the guilt at it being his mother who had done it. Chloe laid a hand on his arm.

“Congratulations on your recovery,” she added, smiling at her friend, and they all took the shot. Chloe smacked her lips at the harsh burn of the alcohol.

Linda was already calling for round two. “To Lucifer and Chloe,” she said, raising another toast. “I’m so happy for you two.” She beamed proudly as though she’d personally had a hand in it (which, Chloe reminded herself, she probably had, behind the scenes).

Chloe looked at Lucifer and found him looking back at her with a smirk that belied his true happiness. She squeezed his hand as they took the shot, feeling herself blush even before Maze licked her teeth suggestively.

“So you guys _did it_ ,” she commented. “Fucking finally. The UST around you guys was exhausting.”

Chloe looked to Linda for support, but she received none.

“Now we can all breathe a little easier,” the doctor agreed, and Chloe glared as Lucifer chuckled.

“Indeed,” he purred. “I told you it would happen eventually.”

“It happened,” Chloe protested, raising a finger for emphasis, “when I was ready, because I wanted it to, and for no other reason.” She gave Lucifer a significant look, and he conceded with an exaggerated gesture. “I had a lot of reasons to wait, even before knowing what I know now.”

Linda nodded. “Absolutely. I don’t blame you, Chloe.”

“ _I_ do,” Maze chimed in, but she was looking at Lucifer. “If it hadn’t taken you so long to get your head out of your ass and tell her…”

Lucifer waved his hands. “Yes, yes, all right, we’re here now, so…” He made a gesture to the bartender, who nodded and pulled out a bottle of something Chloe was sure was outrageously expensive. “I’m in a mood to celebrate,” he announced. “Been saving this for a special occasion.”

His eyes were sparkling as he looked at her, and this was what she wanted, to see him like this, preferably all the time. The smooth, smoky-sweet taste of the scotch unfolding on her tongue was happiness, and desire, and she was starting to feel comfortably fuzzy already, watching the partiers in the mirror over the bar, Lucifer’s hand resting with deceptive innocence on her thigh as he talked to someone the next stool over. She didn’t even notice Linda’s absence until she slid back onto her stool, and a minute later, the music changed, and the strains of the Clash started pumping through the speakers.

Chloe’s mouth formed an ‘o’ of surprise as she turned to look at Linda, who actually winked, raising her glass, then Lucifer’s hand tightened subtly on Chloe’s thigh, and she met his eyes, which were laden with memory.

“Chloe Decker, will you honour me with a dance?” he asked over the music, his chivalry somewhat marred by the eyebrow waggle.

She couldn’t resist planting a kiss on that face, swearing to herself that she would do whatever she could to keep that look on it for as long as possible. “Let’s dance, Satan,” she said, feeling free and a little reckless, and Lucifer grinned as he led her to the floor.

There was no awkward distance this time; she pressed up willingly against the long, lean lines of his body as he pulled her close and they danced together, cheek to cheek, just like they had before. They hadn’t known what was ahead of them then, not by a long shot, but Chloe’s answer to the question posed in the song hadn’t changed, whether it was referring to a night, a lifetime - or even longer than that.

 _I’m staying_ , she tried to impart to him as she pressed ever closer, smiling so widely her cheeks hurt. _I’m not going anywhere._

*

They stayed out on the dance floor for a long time, much longer than Chloe would have thought herself capable of. The music slowly shifted back from rock to more conventional club beats and they adjusted their movements accordingly, without a word being spoken between them.

Chloe kept waiting for the urge to pull away, to put an end to things like she usually did, but it never happened. That side of herself had been effectively silenced, drunk on the glimmering lights and the throbbing beat, the heat of his presence surrounding her in their own private bubble, even more than the whisky. Lucifer was the ultimate example of living in the moment, while she spent most of her life doing anything but. Tonight, she took a page out of his book and just let herself _be_. When she was in his arms, all their worries and concerns faded into the background. In the middle of the crowded club, he made her feel like she was the only woman in the room.

The alcohol hummed pleasantly in her veins, in harmony with the music as she and Lucifer drew closer and closer together. At some point, the tempo of the music changed, and she blinked out of the haze to realize that they were no longer dancing so much as pulsing together to the beat, both his arms wrapped around her, his hands low on her waist, her arms around his neck.

Lost in each other, they were so close together he couldn't fail to notice the stutter in her movements, and he looked down at her with a lazy smile. “Problem, darling?” he asked. The corner of Chloe’s mouth turned up teasingly.

“I need another drink,” she said, and his smile widened.

“A state of affairs that must be rectified immediately,” he replied and drew her back over to the bar, keeping one hand low on her back as he did so. His touch was warm and gentle, and ever so slightly possessive. Chloe liked it.

The bartender poured them another two fifths from the same special bottle. Maze and Linda were no longer there, and Chloe searched the club for them. They were also on the floor, dancing with different people but close together.

Maze had two partners: a woman in a black leather number that perfectly complemented the demon’s own outfit, and a man who had the slightly dazed look of someone who couldn't believe his good fortune. Linda was dancing with a handsome man in a button down, but Maze kept glancing over at the pair of them, and Chloe thought she might try to make a move soon. Chloe wished her luck.

Lucifer was running his nose along her jawline in a slow caress. Chloe leaned into his touch, smelling the spice and honey of his breath on her neck, and felt him smile.

“You all right there?” she murmured.

Lucifer pulled back the slightest bit possible to look at her. “You’re getting me drunk,” he purred. “It’s delightful.” She smiled at him past the pang of the reminder that she made the Devil vulnerable. Tonight was about having a good time.

“It’s almost time for my set,” he told her. “Would you like the place of honour?”

Chloe almost agreed, but her senses hadn’t been quite that dulled yet, and she found herself asking: “Where’s that?”

“Why, on top of the piano, of course.” He arched his brows in silent question, and Chloe allowed herself to imagine it for a fraction of a second, but she drew the line at actually putting herself on display for all these people. In private, though…

Lucifer must have seen her answer in her eyes, because he nodded easily. “Sit wherever you like, darling. I’ll go have a word with the DJ.”

He trailed a hand down her arm as he departed, and Chloe felt a completely ridiculous sense of loss at his absence. Maze and Linda were sitting together now, in a booth near the piano, and Linda waved her over.

“Chloe!” she gushed, enveloping her in a bear hug. “I’m so happy for you, you looked _amazing_ out there!”

“Super hot,” Maze agreed, and Chloe found herself blushing yet again.

“You look so happy, Chloe,” Linda repeated sincerely. “Lucifer must be doing something right.”

“Oh, he’s doing _something_ , all right,” Maze said, leering, and Chloe folded her arms, looking away.

“I am happy,” she admitted, watching Lucifer approach the piano as the music faded away. He smiled politely at various people as he passed but did nothing further to engage them, causing bewildered disappointment to cross their faces. Lucifer ignored them, settling himself at the piano, the spotlight illuminating him. “I’m really happy,” she repeated. Despite the upheavals recently brought into her life, she couldn’t deny that she considered it an acceptable trade off.

Linda just squeezed her shoulder once and didn’t reply. Lucifer started to play.

She recognized most of the pieces he played, both pop songs and older music, but he blended the two so effortlessly that it was often impossible to tell where one began and the other ended. He’d been playing for quite a while before Chloe realized he’d segued into a rendition of “Eternal Flame.”

She pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, shaking her head when Linda nudged her questioningly. Lucifer smirked in Chloe’s direction, and she just kept shaking her head, watching through eyes that were suddenly wet with tears. The first time he’d played that song she’d been so hurt, angry, and confused. Even then, his ridiculousness had managed to pull her out of her black mood. Now, even though he wasn’t singing, she could hear the words and realized the significance of his choice of song.

When Lucifer finished, the music and the lights in the club came back up, and people started to drift away from the piano. Chloe shook off the heaviness of her emotions and became aware of a pressing need to use the facilities. She stood, leaving Maze and Linda deep in conversation, and went over to Lucifer who was still sitting at the piano, finishing his drink and observing the continuing party. She didn’t bother trying to find words to express the various emotions she was feeling, or how impossibly attractive she found him when she was playing. She just kissed him, and hoped that would suffice.

“I’ll be right back,” she murmured, with a jerk of her head in the direction of the washrooms, and he nodded, accepting another drink from the waitress.

The washrooms of Lux were just as fancy as the rest of the club, featuring huge floor to ceiling mirrors bordered by lights. There was a gaggle of women congregated by the marble sinks that stopped talking as soon as they caught sight of her, staring at her silently until she went into a stall, at which point a storm of whispers erupted.

Chloe tried not to let it bother her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had to deal with this kind of thing before, back at the police academy, with the other female recruits wondering what a ‘porn star’ was doing there. She also couldn’t exactly blame them - Lucifer was magnetic, to say the least, and up until very recently had been the city’s most eligible bachelor. The fact that she suddenly seemed to have him all to herself was both thrilling and slightly nerve wracking. She needed just as much time to get used to the idea as the party circuit did.

Besides, there were definitely perks.

She endured their icy stares and left the washroom, already searching the club for Lucifer. She spotted him immediately, still sitting at the piano, just as a woman wearing a short, backless silver dress hoisted herself into the “place of honour,” literally laying herself across the piano to get in Lucifer’s face. Lucifer didn’t do anything to encourage her, but he didn’t do anything to dissuade her either, simply sipping his drink and giving her a polite smile. Chloe swallowed the jolt of possessive rage that blinded her for a moment.

Trying to imitate the confidence that Lucifer always exuded, she strode over to the piano, not bothering to engage the woman at all, but simply sliding onto the bench next to Lucifer. He immediately turned his body toward her and she shifted closer, slipping her hand underneath his suit jacket to caress his chest, the same way she had when she’d gone to Lux the first time searching for a bulletproof vest.

He grinned encouragingly, the way he had before, running his hand up her arm. Only when she was practically in his lap did she look up at the other woman, who was still staring at them with an expression of almost morbid fascination. _Oh, you’re still here?_

The woman recoiled, hopping off the piano in short order. Chloe couldn’t suppress a small smile of victory which she hid against Lucifer’s cheek.

“I missed you,” Lucifer murmured, and Chloe felt her heart warm, even though she thought she could see through the sentiment to the deeper insecurity she wanted to erase. She grinned wider, his stubble rough against her skin.

“I leave you alone for two minutes,” she teased, softening her words with another caress which turned into a kiss.

“Indeed, quite a covetous display.” Lucifer’s approval was plain. “You were spectacular, my dear. That poor woman never knew what hit her.”

The combination of drink and the rush of what she’d just done made her bold, and she leaned up to whisper in Lucifer’s ear. “ _Mine_.”

She felt a shudder go through him, and he captured her lips in a hot, almost desperate kiss, one in which he was nevertheless a passive participant as Chloe staked her claim. Only the thought of the kiss progressing right in the middle of everyone (which she knew Lucifer would do nothing to stop) made her pull back, accompanied by an involuntary sound of disappointment from Lucifer.

She fixed his rumpled collar as he blinked a few times to banish the glazed expression in his eyes, and she couldn’t even feel sorry that she was able to affect him like this.

Lucifer took a deep breath. “I need a drink,” he said at last, and Chloe grinned and nodded.

“So do I.”

They rose together, making their way over to the bar where Maze and Linda were sitting doing shots. Lucifer snagged a bottle from the bar, pouring two glasses.

“Ah, that she does,” he said, joining their conversation effortlessly. “No demons have souls. That’s why they’re notorious for living in the moment.”

“Yeah, when I die, that’s it,” Maze said blithely, as Chloe leaned against Lucifer’s shoulder, trying to figure out what they were talking about. “Maze out.”

“So don’t waste a single second,” Lucifer concurred, taking a sip. “You humans could learn a thing from her. And me. Well, mostly me.” He nudged Chloe.

“What would we be learning from you?” Chloe asked sweetly. “How not to follow protocol?”

Lucifer toasted her with his glass. “Touché, Detective.” Chloe smirked.

Linda was thoroughly soused and lagging behind the conversation a bit. “That’s terrible,” she slurred. “I’m so sorry, Maze.”

“I have no complaints,” Maze disagreed, sounding surprised that anyone could think otherwise. “I just try and keep things interesting.” Lucifer’s eyes sharpened, and Chloe recalled that Maze was supposed to be tracking the Sinnerman.

“I mean, I was getting tired of the constant drinking, violence, sex…” the demon admitted, and Chloe blinked, having not realized the word “tired” was in her roommate’s vocabulary. “You know how it is,” she concluded.

Linda nodded. “Yes, of course. All those things, all the time, for me.” Her drunken hyperbole was lost on the demon.

“Yeah, but now I hunt humans, too,” she said. “Adds a little spice to things.”

“And more than human, right?” Lucifer interjected. “There’s no other way this Sinnerman could’ve eluded you for so long.”

Maze ignored him. “In fact, my next bounty should be here any minute.”

“Your _next_ bounty?” Lucifer repeated incredulously.

“You got your bounty to come to you?” Linda asked.

Maze made an affirmative sound.

“How’d you pull that off?” Chloe inquired, shooting a look at Lucifer to remind him to play nice.

“Let me guess,” Lucifer mused. “Blackmail. No! Promise of a threesome.” There was still a subtle edge to his voice, but it didn’t appear to affect Maze at all, who laughed.

“Drink coupon to Lux.”

“ _Coupon_?” Lucifer echoed, dropping his disapproval for affront. “Maze, this isn’t some kind of student disco. No one in their right mind would -”

As he was speaking, as if on cue, a young man who certainly looked like he belonged at a student disco pushed between them to the bar, waving a slip of paper like a flag. “I have a coupon for a free margarita,” he proclaimed.

Maze slammed his head onto the bar top, knocking him out cold. Linda made a belated noise of surprise as the man slumped to the floor. Chloe grabbed the coupon curiously, inspecting it, while Lucifer looked from the surprisingly professional looking card to the man on the floor of his bar, incredulous.

“Though I have to admit the job is losing its thrill.” Maze sounded thoughtful. “I dunno. I think I need… more.”

“What, hunting down the United States’ most notorious crime boss not interesting enough for you?” Lucifer sniped, as Maze looked at him blandly.

“Maybe,” Linda suggested, once again behind the times, sounding half drunk, half sarcastic, “you should take a breath. Appreciate all that you have.”

Chloe smiled at Lucifer, grasping his hand under the bar. He blinked at her, and her heart melted at his confusion.

“Slow down,” Linda continued, eyes crossing. “Like I wish this spinning room would.”

Chloe looked reproachfully at Maze. Linda was just out of the hospital; they were supposed to be celebrating her recovery, not drinking her under the table.

“The room’s not spinning, is it?” Linda asked.

Maze and Lucifer actually looked at each other for confirmation before shaking their heads. “No,” they responded.

“No. Okay.” Linda calmly laid her head on the bar. “Oh, this is cold. This is cold and nice.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Lucifer said urgently, as Chloe was about to protest that someone should look after Linda. “You take it from me, Maze. The best thing to do is always follow your greatest desire. Burn brighter, Mazikeen,” said the Morningstar, a fervent light in his eyes. “You should hunt the most challenging target you can. That’s how you’ll get your mojo back. By finding the Sinnerman.” And there it was.

Chloe looked hard at Lucifer as he dispensed his self-serving advice. He sniffed and looked away, pouring himself another drink from the bottle he still held.

“I’m sure the doctor will agree,” he said, accompanied by a groan from Linda,“...Once she wakes up.” He poured another drink for Maze and one for Chloe.

The demon nodded in apparent agreement. “Burn brighter it is,” she said, and Lucifer raised his glass.

“Game on.” They all drank, and then Maze shook herself.

“I’ll… I’ll take her upstairs,” she said, indicating Linda, and picked her up carefully, departing up the stairs before they could respond.

Lucifer shrugged, flagging down two bartenders. “Take care of this, would you?” he instructed, nudging the body with his foot. “Leave him in the storeroom for Maze to collect.”

The alacrity with which they complied suggested to Chloe that it was not an unusual request, and she tried not to think about why that might be.

“Now,” Lucifer purred, turning to her with a look that made her stomach swoop, “where were we?”

Not ready for the evening to end and also wanting to provide Lucifer with a distraction from the spectre of the Sinnerman, she let him take her back onto the dance floor.

This time, Lucifer was not subtle. His leg found its way between hers almost immediately, providing delightful pressure. His hands roamed her body possessively, and she was swallowed in his passion, his fire. Lucifer had been restraining himself earlier; he wasn’t any longer.

Normally, this was something Chloe would have put a stop to, but she didn’t this time. Whether it was the alcohol, the desire to keep up the performance, or the way Lucifer was sexily disheveled, his jacket left by the bar and the shirt buttons at his throat undone, the product in his hair beginning to lose its hold, she didn’t know. She helped his hair along, carding her hands through it. He pressed even closer, inching his hands beneath her skirt in retaliation, and all Chloe could think was that she wanted him closer still.

Lucifer seemed to be in slightly better control of himself than she was, and she wavered between thinking that was probably a good thing and wanting to see how much composure she could get him to lose. He telegraphed all his movements with great care, and it was obvious he was experimenting with how far she’d let him go.

Chloe surprised herself with the realization that this was very much all right, and indicated such with a cheeky roll of her hips, dragging a groan from his throat. It was almost too easy to let go of her natural inhibitions; Lucifer exuded desire, and the entire room fed off of it. Lucifer’s clever hands were quick to explore the possibilities presented by the zipper on the side of her skirt, sneaking ever further beneath the hem of her dress.

Their sensuous game of chicken continued to escalate for the space of a few more songs, until Chloe emerged from her lust-fuelled haze to discover that Lucifer’s hand was resting fully on her ass under her dress. And that hand had _plans_.

That was where she would have drawn the line - they were still very much in public, after all, and she’d had actual sex that had been less intimate than this - but some puckish impulse drove her to push it just that little bit further. She ground her pelvis against his in time with the music, and was rewarded with an actual growl, so low it was almost subsonic. They were pressed so close together she felt it in her own body, as though she were the one making it.

To her delight, Lucifer balked first.

“Shall we move the next stage of the party, upstairs?” he inquired, a slight breathiness giving the lie to his casual tone.

Flush with victory, Chloe grinned into his neck and hummed as though pondering. “Why would we move?” she asked innocently. “There’s already a great sound system and drinks down here.” She repeated the motion.

Lucifer growled again, the hand that wasn’t on her ass tightening in her hair just enough to remind her of how careful he was with his strength around her. Chloe shivered pleasantly.

He leaned closer to murmur in her ear. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Chloe,” he said, the use of her name modulating what could have been a threatening statement. It was the Devil she was teasing, after all. “And here I was trying to be a considerate Devil by conceding to your sensibilities. I have absolutely no compunctions about getting down to business right here and now, so unless you want me to ravish you in front of all of Lux, I suggest we move to a more private locale.”

Heat pooled in Chloe’s belly at the words, the same heat that was radiating off Lucifer in waves, and she could hear in his voice, the way it rolled and rumbled in his chest, that his control was hanging by a thread.

 _I did this_ , she realized. _He’s like this because of me_. Just like that, her insecurities were vanquished. She took the opportunity to cop a feel of her own, and Lucifer’s eyes blazed.

“Let’s go, then,” she said, knowing he was telling the absolute truth, and not being particularly keen on the alternative no matter how flirty she was feeling.

Next thing she knew, they were in the elevator.

This time, it was Lucifer up against the wall as he pulled her flush against him, one hand even higher under her skirt, the other hot as a brand against her skin as it spanned nearly the entire expanse of her back, holding her so tightly her feet left the ground. The added lift provided the perfect angle for Chloe to access the patch of exposed skin at his throat that had been tempting her so. It was only when Lucifer made a surprised sound, rocking involuntarily into her, that it hit her: she was the only human with the ability to mark him.

The sound coupled with the realization sent a bolt of heat straight down to her toes, and she smirked up at him briefly before giving the other side the same treatment.

Lucifer let out a shuddering moan, his hand finding purchase in her hair to drag her lips up for a kiss that made her wonder if they were even going to make it to the bed. Then the doors opened to reveal Maze, whose eyebrows raised gleefully as she took in the scene before her.

Fortunately, she didn’t say anything, just licked her lips as they both made half-hearted attempts to adjust their clothing and made an exaggerated ‘get on with it’ gesture, trading places with them in the elevator. If Chloe had been in her right mind, she would have noted that the demon had stayed upstairs after putting Linda to bed rather than coming back down to the bar, but she was so far gone that not even Maze’s unexpected appearance could put a damper on things.

***

Chloe giggled against Lucifer’s chest as she was half-carried into the bedroom, kicking off her shoes as they went, trying to be quiet so as not to wake Linda by actually making more noise than strictly necessary, in the paradoxical way of drunkenness.

Lucifer laid her on the bed with her legs hanging off the side. Chloe sprawled bonelessly across it but he didn’t join her as expected, instead kneeling beside the bed and reaching for her. With an aching slowness that belied his urgency of moments before, he peeled the tights off her legs, pressing kisses to every inch he uncovered as Chloe tried to remember how to breathe.

“Chloe,” he murmured against her skin. “You are…” He let the sentence trail away, finding a much more eloquent use for his tongue as it sung her praises between her thighs.

Chloe gasped, twisting under the onslaught of sensation, but Lucifer held her fast. She’d always felt vaguely uncomfortable about being on the receiving end of such treatment - she’d never been with anyone who didn’t see it as an expectation of quid pro quo.

Lucifer, on the other hand, ensconced himself between her legs like he planned to live there, exulting in giving pleasure for its own sake. The last time they’d done this, she hadn’t been in a state to notice much of anything at all, and Lucifer had tamed his offering accordingly. Chloe realized this only now, as his mouth did things to her that she’d never even imagined and should probably be illegal. Lucifer was ruthless in his pursuit, not allowing her any respite as she discovered how it felt to be ardently savoured.

“Oh, fuck, _Lucifer_ ,” Chloe moaned, drowning in pleasure. He hummed his appreciation against her, and she arched into him, mirroring the pressure within that was building higher and higher. Her whole body compressed under the weight of it until something had to give. But it didn’t, as Lucifer held her there on the precipice, as skillfully as any musician ever sustained a note. She sobbed his name breathlessly, and he got his most perfect revenge.

“ _Please_ ,” she begged shamelessly, over and over, interspersed with repetitions of his name. Lucifer might have smirked up at her in triumph - all she was aware of was the change in the movements of his tongue as he relented, endeavouring now to bring her past the brink.

Lucifer slid two fingers into her - slender, pianist’s fingers - making a come hither gesture, and Chloe felt sure she was going to explode. She wondered if it _was_ possible to die from this, as time lost all meaning. The world constricted smaller and smaller, to just the clever movements of his tongue and fingers, before the tension finally snapped, exploding into white and sound. It wasn’t until much later that she realized the high, keening wail she’d heard had been her own, as her release rushed through every limb and brought with it an exhausted kind of euphoria. All she could do was lie there, soaked and sated, quivering as she struggled to catch her breath.

“ _Fuck_ ,” she breathed, fervent, when she could think again. Lucifer stared down at her, still _fully dressed_ , a filthy grin firmly in place. Chloe just shook her head, wondering how, exactly, she’d managed to get this lucky.

“At the risk of making you look even more disgustingly pleased with yourself,” she said, panting as she slowly sat up, “has anyone ever told you you’re _really_ good at that?” She figured they probably had at some point - or all the points, really - but she was just impressed that she’d managed to form a coherent sentence.

Lucifer licked his lips as he watched her. “It’s been brought to my attention,” he replied. Chloe scoffed. “But your opinion is the only one that matters,” he said more seriously, and she paused, remembering when he’d said that before, in a very different context.

He pushed her hair back from her face, the lust in his expression deepening. “You have _no idea_ how long I’ve wanted to make you say my name like that,” he told her, low and sultry, already beginning to stoke the embers in her belly back into a blaze.

“I think I can hazard a guess,” she said wryly. She started undoing the buttons on his vest, and with a lazy smile of appreciation, he leaned back to allow her better access.

“ _I_ ,” she continued, surveying the purpling bruises on his neck with a surge of satisfaction, “would like to see how long I can get these to last for.” She tapped both sides of his throat, and his eyes darkened in response, black and fathomless.

“I must say, I rather like this possessive streak of yours,” he admitted, rising once she’d finished with his shirt to remove his pants himself. Chloe stripped out of her dress, and Lucifer’s gaze as he watched her was so heated she was surprised his eyes stayed brown instead of red. He descended upon her instantly, his need pressing against her, hard and insistent.

As they embarked upon the rest of the night, Chloe hoped fervently during brief periods of lucidity that Linda, wherever Maze had put her, was passed out deeply enough that she wouldn’t hear anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is a reference to Maze's absolutely stunning performance in the opening of 1x07.  
> (We saved Lucifer, y'all! Congrats!)


	9. WWLD?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Start of the 3x04 arc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "But what about the rest of Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith?" I hear some of you cry, maybe. Well, given that it's a Maze-centric episode, it will still be present, just in a very different form - later. Stay tuned! Right now we're starting in with What Would Lucifer Do, with lots of changes on the way! Hope you enjoy!

Chloe drifted awake surrounded by Lucifer’s scent, and she burrowed deeper into his sheets, her brief disorientation passing. She felt amazing and wondered if she hadn’t drunk as much as she thought the previous night, or if it had been negated by the high of post-orgasmic lassitude. She’d learned to expect Lucifer to be attached to her like a six foot limpet in the morning, or at the very least to be lying near her in bed, so it was a surprise when she rolled over, seeking his body, and he wasn’t there.

She blinked, slowly coming to awareness, and heard low voices coming from the living room. Furrowing her brow, she made herself focus on what they were saying.

“... disgusting things.”

That was Lucifer’s voice, low and resentful.

“Lucifer, they’re a part of you.” Linda’s voice was careful and concerned.

“They are not!” Lucifer’s tone grew more strident. “They are a vile disfiguration, and I’m still not entirely certain why I’m letting you convince me to keep them.”

“Because, Lucifer, we care about you and don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Linda kept her voice even.

Lucifer scoffed. Chloe’s heart sank. She thought she knew what they were talking about, and why. At some point during the previous evening Lucifer’s wings had erupted from his back in their throes of passion. All she could recall at the time was finding it incredibly hot, and being disappointed when he’d quickly folded them away. She ought to have known it would have affected him more than he let on.

“Do you have any other leads on this ‘Sinnerman’ yet?” Linda prompted, changing the subject.

Lucifer exhaled sharply, and Chloe could imagine him sitting back. “No. No one seems to have ever met the chap, which makes punching him in the face frustratingly difficult. Not even Maze has been able to find traces, which means he must be something other than human.”

“What does that mean?” Linda asked.

“I don’t know,” Lucifer said darkly. “But I won’t rest until whoever it is is found.”

Linda spoke with the air of someone wording her statement with great care. “I know he kidnapped you. But you seem very bothered by this. Even more than your wings. Almost… obsessed. Why is that?”

“Because,” Lucifer said, sounding frustrated that Linda didn’t understand. “He has me at a disadvantage.”

Linda was still confused. “What do you mean by that?”

“There are… things,” Lucifer replied slowly.

“Things?” Linda wouldn’t allow him to dodge the question.

“Things that I have now,” Lucifer finally answered, and Chloe’s heart squeezed. “Things that I can’t lose. That just means he has more to use against me.”

Chloe, deciding that was enough eavesdropping, rose from the bed, finding Lucifer’s discarded shirt from the night before and pulling it on before padding out into the living room.

Lucifer’s eyes widened appreciatively when she emerged, causing Linda to turn around and send her a soft smile. She was dressed, but Lucifer was not, still in his robe.

“Sorry, I just didn’t want to interrupt,” she said to both of them, going straight to Lucifer who watched her approach, heat banked in his gaze. She leaned down to plant a kiss on his lips. “Good morning, Lucifer,” she murmured, and felt rewarded when his breath caught before he returned the kiss. She’d made it her personal goal to make sure he got used to the more mundane aspects of being in a relationship. Though she doubted he would ever admit it (perhaps wasn’t even aware of it), it couldn’t be more obvious that he craved that kind of casual intimacy.

Breaking the kiss, she turned to Linda somewhat sheepishly. The doctor’s proud approval couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d been wearing a sign. “Morning Linda,” Chloe said, unsure of how to feel about the fact that their friends appeared to be personally invested in their relationship.

“Good morning,” Linda replied warmly.

“How are you feeling?” Chloe inquired, surprised to see her awake and alert.

“Well, one of the advantages of passing out is it means I got more sleep than you did,” Linda said with good humour. Chloe smirked, but privately resolved to invite Linda over for dinner sometime, something involving less drinking. She tried to parse the statement for any indication that Linda had heard their nocturnal activities, but then decided it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like they were in high school. If Linda didn’t bring it up, she wouldn’t either.

“Speaking of which,” Chloe said, stifling a yawn, “I’m going to get coffee.” She made for the kitchen. “Anyone else want a cup?”

“I made it about an hour ago,” Lucifer called after her, and she shook her head affectionately.

“So long as it’s still hot, it’s fine,” she assured him.

“Well, that’s true enough,” he said quite close to her, “you drink that swill they serve in the precinct after all.”

Chloe knew she needed to get used to the way he wasn’t actually bound by the laws of physics, but his sudden movement still startled her.

“Sorry,” Lucifer said, not sounding apologetic at all.

“Are you coming into work with me today?” she asked, choosing not to draw attention to the fact that he’d followed her into the kitchen rather than staying with Linda - the last thing she wanted was for him to feel awkward about his need for closeness.

“If you’ll promise to keep wearing that,” he said sultrily, tongue running along his lower teeth, “I’ll go anywhere you like.”

She found herself on top of the counter, Lucifer’s hands firmly on her ass as she took advantage of the improved angle to exchange a heated kiss.

Pulling back for breath, she inspected the marks on Lucifer’s throat, telling herself she wasn’t disappointed that they’d faded to mere shadows, and were only really noticeable because she knew where to look.

“You heal too fast,” she told him.

He smirked, but his eyes were dark with arousal. “You could always… refresh them,” he suggested, and heat bloomed in Chloe’s chest at the thought of Lucifer walking around all day, willingly wearing the brand of her lips under his collar. Seeing him swallow, she bit her lip, moving in on the triangle of skin bared by his robe. Doing this deliberately, instead of while they were both carried away, felt like something altogether different. Lucifer made a low sound as she nipped at his throat, sending another bolt of heat through her. She wondered if they would actually make it to work today.

Then the coffee machine hissed, startling them both. Chloe huffed a laugh. Lucifer lowered his forehead to rest against hers, hands buried in her hair. Chloe closed her eyes, let herself be held, be needed.

_There are things that I have now_ , he’d said. _Things I can’t lose._ She was willing to give him as many of these moments as he needed, to reassure him that it wasn’t all going to disappear.

“Are you coming into work today?” she asked again, without moving away. “I’ll be wearing pants, though.”

“Pity,” Lucifer murmured, pulling back slightly to look at her, running his hands through her hair. “Very well,” he said, sighing heavily as though put upon.

“Good.” Chloe smiled at him. She’d learned long before how important it was to assure him that his presence was wanted. She inhaled deeply before pushing at his shoulders, and he stepped back to allow her to hop down from the counter. “I love you,” she told him, “but if you don’t let me drink my coffee, there’ll be consequences.”

“Hell hath no fury,” Lucifer deadpanned, but his eyes were soft from her declaration, and so was his touch as he tucked her hair back behind her ear. Chloe smirked, turning to grab her cup, and they went back out into the main area, where Linda looked up from her own coffee with a knowing smile.

“I’ll leave you two ladies to chat whilst I get ready, shall I?” He vanished into the hallway, probably to avoid Linda, and Chloe leaned against the bar, painfully conscious of the fact that she hadn’t put her underwear back on.

“So how are you really doing?” Chloe asked.

A shadow passed over Linda’s eyes. “I’m fine,” she said, too brightly. “You and Lucifer seem to be doing well.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed at the blatant change of subject, deciding whether or not to call her friend on it.

“I wanted to invite you to dinner,” she said instead. Linda wasn’t the only one who could deflect. “Just you, me and Trixie. Maybe Maze, if she’s home,” Chloe added. Linda’s mouth twisted, almost imperceptibly.

“I’ve been thanking her so much after… what happened, I think she’s avoiding me,” Linda said.

Chloe hid her smile behind her coffee cup. “Well, she certainly wasn’t avoiding you last night,” she pointed out.

Linda nodded slowly, before looking down to check her phone. “I’ve got to go meet a patient,” she said. “Will you thank Lucifer for me for letting me stay?”

“Of course,” Chloe said, putting down her cup to embrace her friend. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better,” she said as Linda returned the hug, smiling.

“Me too. It feels good to be back at work,” Linda said. “I’d love to do dinner sometime. Talk to you later, Chloe.” She waved as the elevator doors closed.

Shortly after Linda left, Lucifer emerged from his dressing room. He was wearing another three piece suit - she wondered if he was wearing vests more frequently to compensate for his wings, as an added layer. His black suit and slate-grey shirt was offset by the pop of colour his teal handkerchief provided. The vest, with its row of buttons, emphasized his slender waist. He went to pour himself a drink, practically glowing under her regard.

“See something you like?” he asked, preening as he waggled his eyebrows saucily, and she shook her head, unable to keep a smile from her face at his total lack of modesty.

“Just the one,” she said, putting down her empty cup and placing a hand on his chest, rising onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. She grinned triumphantly when she thought she caught a hint of an actual blush.

Lucifer looked away, changing the subject rather than responding. “Where’s Doctor Linda?” he asked.

“She had to go meet a patient,” Chloe answered. “She told me to tell you thanks for letting her stay.”

Lucifer nodded. “She certainly seemed to enjoy herself,” he said, looking delighted.

Chloe bit her lip. “I’m worried about her,” she admitted.

Lucifer’s eyes sharpened as he looked back at her. “What for?”

Chloe frowned as she tried to find a way to word it. “I think she went way too hard last night for someone just out of recovery,” she said at last. “I know Lux was my idea, but I feel like it backfired. She still seems like she’s avoiding things.”

“She’s a therapist, darling,” Lucifer said. “Need I remind you that it only took her a week to see me again after she found out the truth?” He sounded oddly proud.

Chloe swallowed the words she wanted to say. _Maybe she hasn’t quite dealt with that, either_. Of course, like she was one to talk. She was still struggling with everything herself.

“Just... try to go easy on her?” she suggested instead, wondering if Lucifer’s current issues would help distract Linda from her current situation or only make things worse.

Lucifer shrugged. “If you say so,” he conceded, which she supposed was the best she was going to get.

She patted his chest once more for good measure. “I have to go get ready.”

Lucifer sighed dolefully, and Chloe smirked, sashaying for effect as she walked away. It was true - there was still a lot she had to work through. Everything just seemed so much easier when she was with Lucifer. The way he made her feel like she was the center of his universe certainly didn’t hurt, either.

* * *

 

Lucifer watched Chloe walk away. He’d hate to let her leave if she weren’t so bloody enticing when she went. He was struck again by the way his life now felt more like a dream - or would, if it hadn’t blown any fantasy he would have allowed himself completely out of the water. He could never have imagined Chloe, so confident in her body and her inexplicable love for him, holding nothing back and expecting the best of him in turn. It was a reminder never to take any of what he had now for granted. The Sinnerman was still at large, and until he was taken care of, Lucifer couldn’t afford to let down his guard.

The last time he’d believed Chloe’s feelings were real, he’d been prepared to fight to the bitter end to preserve his fragile chance at happiness, until that option had been snatched away from him. This time, he wasn’t going to allow anything to get in his way.

The elevator dinged, and Amenadiel walked in. Lucifer’s hand clenched around his glass but he thought about how Chloe had looked, throwing God’s eldest out of her home, and smirked at the memory.

“Brother! What are you doing here?” he inquired, keeping his tone even, grateful that Chloe had gone to change.

His brother, looking faintly relieved that he hadn’t been censured right off the bat, moved further into the living area and peered at Lucifer earnestly. Lucifer braced himself.

“I wanted to tell you that I finally figured out what my task is from Father, to get my powers back,” Amenadiel announced.

“Well, this should be the opposite of interesting,” Lucifer groused, pouring himself another drink. His brother’s obsession with finding a way to please their Father reminded him too much of his old self, and as such struck him as unbearably naive.

“It’s you, brother,” Amenadiel continued, and Lucifer paused. “You are my task.”

“Slightly more interesting. How am I your task?” Lucifer asked dubiously. He’d thought his brother had given up on trying to return him to Hell or any of that nonsense.

“I have no idea,” Amenadiel admitted, and Lucifer felt reassured that Amenadiel was at least being upfront about it. “I mean, am I supposed to help you? To teach you?” And there he went, being the big brother again. Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You see, I was sent down here to be with you for a reason.” Amenadiel paced closer. At least it didn’t sound like he was going to try to send Lucifer back to Hell again. “Now, maybe that means I’m supposed to learn from you.”

Lucifer huffed a disbelieving laugh. This was a change of tone. He wasn’t particularly keen on being used as part of Amenadiel’s supposed redemption, but he could see his way to gleaning some enjoyment out of this at the very least.

“Well, if you really need to understand me, brother,” he said, leaving aside the fact that it was impossible, “then you must first walk a mile in my Italian loafers.”

“Walk a mile in your shoes?” Amenadiel echoed.

“Mhmm,” Lucifer said, setting his glass down on the bar. Just because his brother had decided that he was a test didn’t mean he was under any obligation to make it an easy, or meaningful, one.

“All right,” Amenadiel agreed, almost too easily. “Well, teach me how to ‘Lucifer’.” He waved his hand vaguely.

Lucifer licked his lips. This _was_ going to be fun. “Well, baby steps,” he admonished. “It took eons to perfect this.” He made an all-encompassing gesture directed at himself. “All right, first off, a makeover,” he said, circling his brother with a critical eye. “Clothes.” He pointed at the sneakers Amenadiel was wearing with a laugh. “Shoes.” Coming back around to face his brother, he realized something else.

“Here’s an idea: try smiling.” A strained grimace appeared on his brother’s face. “Right, we can work on that.” He pointed down the hall. “Through there, my closet. I grant you entrée to all things me.” The thought of his older brother playing dress-up in his suits was objectively hilarious. “And give me your phone.”

Amenadiel handed it over and Lucifer typed quickly. “Okay… right. Now you have access to all my social media accounts; Instagram, Snapchat, Grindr.” Which reminded him, he should probably delete his dating apps after he’d had his fun with Amenadiel. “Go.” He clapped his hands. “Release your inner devil.”

Still Amenadiel hesitated. “But what should I do first?” he asked.

_Rebel against Father. Get punished for all eternity_ , came the bitter thought. It was all very well and good for his brother to play at being him without any of the accompanying consequences.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Lucifer said aloud. “Get laid. Play the piano. Punish evil.” He realized he had the chance to make a joke he’d been waiting ages for. “Just, whenever you’re faced with a choice, ask yourself the question: WWLD?” Amenadiel gave him a baffled look, and Lucifer raised his glass to his lips. “What Would Lucifer Do?”

At that moment, Chloe came around the corner, fully dressed. To cover up the leap his heart gave when he saw her, he turned to Amenadiel. When Chloe came near, Lucifer put his hands on her shoulders. “Except for the Detective, she’s off-limits,” he said.

“I’m what now?” Chloe said in confusion. “Amenadiel,” she acknowledged. Her voice held a note of warning. Lucifer bit back a smile. The way she was always so ready to leap to his defense… he’d never experienced anything quite like it. She faced down God’s firstborn like it was second nature.

“Chloe.” Amenadiel’s voice was likewise reserved.

“Right, well, as entertaining as this has the potential to be, the Detective and I were just leaving.” Lucifer pulled Chloe to the elevator. “Have fun, brother!”

Chloe turned to him as the doors closed. “What was that all about?”

Lucifer shrugged. “My brother’s going to try walking a mile in my shoes, to learn more about me.”

Chloe’s expression lightened. “That’s… actually a good idea,” she said.

“It is?” Lucifer was thrown. Generally he and Chloe were never in agreement about what constituted a good idea.

“Yeah,” she said. “I hope he gets to understand you a bit better. Then maybe every time he opens his mouth I won’t wish I could kick his angelic ass.”

Lucifer barked a laugh. “If anyone could, it would be you,” he told her, his heart doing strange things in his chest.

Chloe made a noise of agreement. “If he were vulnerable around me, I’d have shot him already,” she said, and he somehow found it adorable and terrifying at the same time. His defender. He didn’t deserve her.

But, he had her, and he found he was Devil enough that he never wanted to let her go.

* * *

 

“Decker, can I see you in my office?”

Chloe exchanged a glance with Lucifer as Marcus ducked his head back inside the room. She had a feeling whatever the lieutenant wanted to talk about, it wouldn’t be good - had Pierce already heard about the previous night? She touched Lucifer’s shoulder for reassurance as she passed.

“Detective Decker,” Pierce acknowledged without looking up from his file as she closed the door behind her. She expected to be told to take a seat, so she walked closer to his desk. He said nothing further, however, so she remained standing awkwardly, unable to shake the feeling that she was about to receive a dressing down.

After a moment, he tossed the file onto his desk, looking up at her. “If I told Lucifer to take some time off, would he do it?”

Chloe blinked. Did this mean their secret was still safe? Then she tried to think of a delicate way to explain to their new boss that Lucifer didn’t tend to take orders unless they suited him.

“You could always ask him,” she said, honestly enough.

Pierce grimaced. “I know that I can’t officially give Lucifer orders. But Olivia Monroe informed me that you’re the only one he really listens to. If it wasn’t for your record, that would be enough to make me reconsider his place in the department. I need to be able to rely on all of my people.”

Chloe’s heart clenched. This was exactly what she’d been afraid of.

“I could… suggest that he take your advice,” she offered, fully aware that this was the opposite of what Pierce wanted to hear. “But I would like to know why.” She pressed her lips together, unable to believe she’d said that part out loud. But the idea of Pierce using her influence over Lucifer for his own ends made her feel sick to her stomach.

“See, one of the few benefits of having the “L” and the “T” in front of my name is I don’t have to explain myself,” Pierce drawled. Chloe was coming to expect such bluntness from him but it still threw her.

“Understood, _sir_.” Her hackles fully up, she barely kept from snapping a mocking salute.

Pierce gave her a look, but held out the file he’d been reading. “New body just dropped. Since you’re here, you might as well take it.” Chloe did so, trying to keep her temper in check. “Anything else?” Pierce asked, testing.

“No,” she said. The word was clipped. She turned to leave.

“Detective.” Pierce called her back. Chloe bit her tongue.

“Yes, sir?”

“We’ve just started working together, so I figure I can give you one explanation,” he said, like he was doing her a huge favour.

Chloe waited.

“Lucifer’s behaviour has been erratic since the Hamid case,” Pierce proclaimed.

“Since he was kidnapped,” Chloe corrected, unable to stop herself.

“Throwing suspects off buildings, punching them in the face, disrupting sting operations,” Pierce listed off, as though she hadn’t spoken. “It goes beyond what Monroe warned me about in her files. I don’t have room for loose cannons in my department. If he doesn’t smarten up, I don’t care how much of an asset he is, I will bench him. Whatever may or may not have happened out in the desert.”

Chloe frowned. She followed the lieutenant’s gaze through the window to her desk where Lucifer was, at that moment, taking a swig from his flask while scowling down at his phone. She clenched her fists. Of course it would be that moment when he chose to prove Pierce right about him, after he’d been on his best behaviour all morning.

“I respect his work and your partnership,” Pierce was saying, and she turned back to the matter at hand with difficulty. “That’s why I’m _suggesting_ this route first.”

Chloe kept her expression neutral. The threat was subtle, but it was there. She couldn’t even argue it was unwarranted - Pierce did have a station to run, after all - but something struck her as off about it. She was highly suspicious of how Pierce refused to acknowledge what had happened to Lucifer.

“I’ll talk to him,” she said. It was all she could safely promise. “Thank you, sir.”

It rankled, pretending gratitude for his “suggestion,” but if Chloe had learned anything in the man’s world she lived in it was how to fly under the radar. The problem would be how Lucifer would respond.

Pierce arched a brow, but Chloe cared little enough whether or not he saw through her. She’d be sure to give him no grounds for complaint, and would prefer they knew where they stood with one another. The lieutenant waited a minute longer but this wasn’t Chloe’s first rodeo. Though she wanted to storm out, she waited to be dismissed.

“Should… probably get started on this case,” she prompted him. He smirked, and ended their standoff with a wave of his hand.

“Yes, get on with it, Decker,” he said, like he hadn’t been the one keeping her there.

Chloe nodded curtly and left the office.

She headed straight for Lucifer, but was intercepted by Ella in the hallway.

“Whoa,” the tech said. “What was that about?”

Chloe groaned. “You could tell just by watching?” The last thing she needed was word of their difficulties to spread around the department.

“Oh my God, yeah,” Ella said, and Chloe fought the urge to facepalm. “He is so into you!”

Chloe paused. “You’re joking,” she said flatly.

“Uh, no,” Ella insisted. “Scorching fire. Five alarm.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed. She usually respected the lab tech’s insight but this time she was way off the mark.

“But, all I’m gonna say,” Ella backtracked. “I, uh, heard we caught a body. I’ll grab my kit.”

She retreated, and Chloe frowned for a moment longer, wondering what the hell the tech was on about. Then she returned to Lucifer.

“Everything ok?” she asked.

Lucifer looked up at her, expression easing. “Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked, a tad disingenuously.

Chloe just indicated his phone.

He sighed. “Nothing serious, Detective,” he assured her. “My brother is just being an annoying prat as usual.” He changed the subject before she could inquire further. “What did the lieutenant want?”

Chloe indicated the file she held. “Oh, we have a case.”

Lucifer arched a brow, rightly assuming that wasn’t all she’d talked about with Pierce, and Chloe shot him a significant look. _Not here_.

Lucifer’s mouth thinned, but he nodded and rose to his feet. “Where to, then?”

“Firehawk Ranch,” Chloe answered, perusing the file. “Correctional Facility.”

“Oh?” Lucifer got a strange light in his eyes. “This should be a hoot.”

 

Lucifer was still fuming over Amenadiel’s text as they got in the car.

_< It's funny.>_

_<...What is? >_

_< Just lucky I’m doing this now that you’ve changed. Maybe it won’t be as hard as I thought.>_

Stung by the implication, he hadn’t replied.

He looked over at Chloe. He wanted to ask what she and the lieutenant had discussed, but found himself asking a different question instead.

“Do you think I’ve… changed?” he asked, cringing inwardly at the wording.

Chloe frowned. “What do you mean?”

Lucifer huffed a sigh. How was he supposed to explain it to her when he hardly understood himself? He’d hired Linda to help him with his existential crisis, which had instead been exacerbated. The wings were the final straw, bringing with them the uncomfortable feeling that they were merely an external expression of a process that had already occurred.

“Do I seem different?” he asked again, still not sure what he was seeking. He hated having to put it into words.

“No, Lucifer,” Chloe answered immediately. “Not at all. We’ve been over this, remember? You’re exactly the same Lucifer I’ve always known. That’s kind of how I’ve been working through all this.” Her voice was fond as she threw an affectionate look over to him. “You don’t have to worry about that, okay?” She touched his arm in reassurance, but her words had the opposite effect.

In his most cynical moments, he’d suspected his Father of placing Chloe in his path in order to mold him more into the son He wanted. Now with the reappearance of the wings, that seemed all but confirmed.

Impotent rage and frustration coiled in his chest, hot and roiling. Why couldn’t he have a single thing in his life that was solely his, untainted? And the damnable thing was, it hardly mattered. He wanted her regardless.

“What did the lieutenant want?” Lucifer asked gruffly. They’d been speaking for too long for a simple case handoff, and he figured it couldn’t be worse than the gnawing fear that he was no longer the Devil he’d once been.

Chloe bit her lip, but her eyes sparked with sudden fire. Lucifer’s curiosity was piqued.

“He wanted to talk about you,” she admitted.

“Naturally,” he joked automatically, but he didn’t like where this was headed. Pierce had shown that he had no qualms about facing him mano-a-mano so the fact that he’d chosen to go behind his back in this instance was telling.

“About your behaviour. Since the... desert,” Chloe added. “He wanted me to tell you to take a break.”

Lucifer scowled. He’d been wrong. This was worse. As if the idea of Chloe being used against him didn’t already make him sick to his stomach. He couldn’t even deny it wouldn’t be effective - hadn’t he just been thinking about the amount of influence she exerted over him? He could see it now, the detective promising her new boss that she’d rein in her eccentric partner, refusing to let his oddities impact her career. “And you said-”

“- I would do no such thing.”

Lucifer paused, turning to stare at her. Her eyes were firmly on the road but they still blazed. “Well, actually I told him I’d talk to you, but I never said what about.” She shot a quick smirk at him, but it soon faded. “I know I just said you hadn’t changed, but it’s true you’ve kind of been… all over the map, since, well. Since your wings.”

Lucifer looked away.

“I’m not blaming you,” Chloe said hurriedly. “You’re… going through a lot. I’m just glad that for once, I know what it is.” She touched his arm briefly, but he didn’t look back, not wanting to see her expression. “And I don’t trust Pierce,” she continued. “I don’t like how he refuses to talk about your kidnapping. But maybe less of the throwing suspects off of buildings, at least? Might make my job a little easier.”

He looked over at her, then, and the hint of a smile graced her lips. If he’d been asked, before he showed Chloe his face, whether or not her inexplicable support of him would be shaken, his answer would have been a definitive _yes_. The last thing he would have expected would be for the opposite to occur. Anything but _this._

“I shall endeavour to make less of a boor of myself in future,” he conceded, and Chloe smiled wider.

“Is ‘boor’ British for ‘annoying prick’ because if so I’m pretty sure that’s impossible,” she teased, and there she went, working her magic again. The weight lifted from his chest and he looked at her in mock affront.

“You know, I’m not actually British, darling,” he told her, and she dropped the joking expression, looking at him with curiosity.

“Then how come you have an accent?” she asked.

“Technically you’re the one with the accent, my dear,” he said, because he knew it would garner him that _look._

“Lucifer. You sound British,” she said. “You use words like ‘bloody’ and ‘arse’. And don’t tell me it’s a celestial thing because Amenadiel sounds American.”

“I can sound American too,” he said, slipping into the accent that had so annoyed Daniel. Chloe blinked.

“That’s… weird,” she said. “How do you do that?”

“I speak every language,” he reminded her, still speaking American, “I can manage a few accents.”

“Okay, so how does that work?” she asked. “And you can stop talking like that, it sounds… wrong.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he replied, returning to his usual mode of speaking. “To answer your first question, I chose this because I prefer it. There’s no real reason. As for your second... I suppose you might say it’s part and parcel of my ability to draw out desires,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s no good if someone tells you what they desire but you can’t understand them. What would be the point of that?”

“I guess that makes sense,” Chloe said. She hesitated, in a way that Lucifer was coming to learn that meant she was about to ask a question about Hell. She treated it like it was a difficult subject for him, and it was refreshing enough that he hadn’t told her not to bother. “I thought it might be a Hell thing. Like, people from every country go to Hell, right?“ she blurted out.

“No, that was just a… convenient side benefit,” Lucifer said, resolutely not thinking of his darker moments when he’d wished he couldn’t understand every soul he passed by.

“Okay,” Chloe said again, clearly eager to move on. “So Amenadiel can’t speak everything?”

“No, his job as messenger was to interact with humanity as little as possible,” Lucifer answered.

Chloe nodded slowly, processing this. “So he’s choosing to sound American,” she said, not quite a question.

“Probably in an effort to ‘blend in’ as much as possible,” Lucifer surmised. Chloe was silent for a moment, and he thought her curiosity sated, for the time being at least. But then…

“So, what do you normally sound like?”

Lucifer paused. That way lay a whole slew of memories he hadn’t thought about in quite some time, and of course it would be Chloe who brought them up again.

“This is how I normally sound,” he hedged.

“No, I mean…” Chloe made a frustrated sound. “You’ve been around since before England was a thing. Since before language was a thing.” Her mouth twisted, but she continued. “So how did you sound… before? Is there, like, an angel language? Heavenish?”

Lucifer laughed, but it sounded slightly hollow to his ears. “Of course there is. We had to talk to each other somehow, and we certainly weren’t speaking English.” He watched the people in the car ahead of them. “You lot call it Enochian, which is frankly ridiculous. Why would the celestial language be named after a human?” He scoffed.

“What does it sound like?” Chloe asked eagerly. Lucifer grimaced. He’d been afraid of this. “Oh! Was that the language Maze spoke, before?”

“A Hell-modified version, yes,” Lucifer replied, unsurprised by her facile memory.

“Can you say something in it?” Chloe hurried on, undeterred. “What’s it called?”

“It’s not _called_ anything,” he groused, ignoring her first question. “What would be the point? Only angels can speak it. It doesn’t need a name.” He braced himself for her to insist he speak in his native tongue a third time, but instead she bit her lip.

“Sorry,” she said. “You don’t have to speak it if you don’t want to. If it brings back bad memories for you or something.”

Lucifer wondered if there would come a day he’d get used to it, this casual concern for his _feelings_ (he still regarded the word with some disdain). He blinked at Chloe.

What harm could it really do? Maze had spoken it recently. And he found that he wanted to share it with her, out of anyone else. He took a deep breath.

*

Chloe felt the words first, more than she heard them - a deep shudder, like her bones were a gong, and his voice had struck them. Chloe found herself thinking of opera singers shattering wine glasses with their voices. She gripped the steering wheel tighter, blinking away sudden tears.

The words had been impossible, something that shouldn’t have been able to be brought into being with lips and tongue and throat; the light tinkling of windchimes belied by the roar of thunder. And yet, there was something so achingly familiar about them, like hearing a half-forgotten lullaby. For a moment, all she could do was breathe.

“Detective?” Lucifer’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

“Wow,” she said faintly. There was still a ringing in her ears, like she’d just gotten out of a rock concert. “What’d you say?” She thought it must have been something really significant, words of power, of Creation.

Lucifer just looked at her, his eyes dark and raw. Chloe swallowed. Suddenly she didn’t need to know.

“Wow,” she said again, and Lucifer looked away.

“Well, it was either that or the literal word ‘something.’ Toss up, really.” He sniffed.

“Lucifer.” Chloe put a hand on his arm, waiting until he looked back at her. “I love you, too.”

Despite the number of times she’d already said it, he still looked at her like she was the one speaking angelic words, not him.

She glanced up. They were passing the sign designating the turnoff for the ranch.

“We’re here.”


	10. Spiralling

Ella was already there, taking pictures of the body, when they pulled in. The corpse was submerged in a horse trough, and Chloe took a moment, the way she always did, to spare a thought for the life of the young woman who’d died, and the people she’d mattered to. Such reflections helped take Chloe’s mind off how suddenly it could all end.

Death was never beautiful, in her experience. It was ugly and undignified, and she found solace in respecting the person the corpse had once been.

She took a deep breath as the body was removed. “Hey,” she greeted Ella. “Got an ID?”

Ella took another snapshot. “Yep. Meet Emily Goddard. Counselor here. Body was found in the trough.”

“‘Transformational Center?’” Lucifer read off the sign hanging above the main building. He, of course, was unaffected by the scene, and she could hear the air quotes in his words.

“Yeah, it’s a high-end reform program for juvenile drug offenders and addicts,” Ella supplied, unaware that that wasn’t the part Lucifer was objecting to. 

Chloe thought it was best just to push on. “So, what, she drowned?” she asked, trying to stay detached.

“No,” Ella answered immediately. “Stabbed. In her office upstairs.” She indicated the window. Lucifer, as always, was already poking around, inspecting the lower floor windows. “Then took a tumble out the window, and splashdown.” 

Chloe sighed. “We have a murder weapon?”

“Nothing yet,” Ella informed her regretfully, measuring the incision. “But from the depth of the wound… blunting on one side… I’d say we’re looking for either a knife or a tool with a four-to-five inch serrated blade.”

“So this, ah, so-called ‘reform program,’ it claims to turn bad kids into good ones?” Lucifer said. 

Chloe could already tell that he was going to be difficult. She could think of any number of reasons why he might object to their current locale and cursed herself for not having considered it before. She hoped he would be able to work through whatever was bothering him, or at least put it aside for the sake of the case, but assumed it would be a futile wish. She was probably going to have to take him aside at some point.

“Only reform program I ever knew was my _abuelita’s_ boot,” Ella was saying. “It was pretty effective.”

“I’m sure,” Lucifer said. The water in the trough was dark with blood, and Chloe had to look away.

“Oh, there’s the guy in charge,” Ella said, as a man in a blue shirt walked toward them. 

When he was close enough, Chloe made introductions. “Hi. Detective Chloe Decker, and he is -”

“- Very skeptical,” Lucifer interjected, and Chloe could barely keep from rolling her eyes. Yes, that pretty much summed him up.

“My _partner_ , Lucifer Morningstar,” she continued, as if he hadn’t spoken. She wasn’t going to let his sarcasm get in the way of introducing him as her partner properly. Lucifer straightened up immediately, beaming, and Chloe shook her head inwardly.

“Jerry Blackcrow, founder of Firehawk Ranch,” the man identified himself, with only a blink at Lucifer’s name. “This is terrible.”

Chloe had to agree. “Do you know anyone who may have wanted to hurt Ms. Goddard?” she asked gently.

“No,” Mr. Blackcrow said. He spoke haltingly, obviously distraught. “She was one of my best counselors. Everyone adored her.” 

“Any idea of what happened, then?” As the founder, he had to have some inkling into the goings on at his ranch. 

Two EMTs began taking the body away.

“Someone must have snuck onto the property and done this,” Blackcrow began, looking up to the window, only to be interrupted by Lucifer’s scoff. They all turned to look at him.

“Well, we’re surrounded by ne’er-do-wells, and he thinks the culprit came from the outside? _Delusional_.” He pronounced the syllables deliberately, throwing the word in the man’s face. “Killer’s obviously here.” He indicated one young man from the group of residents that was standing around. “Probably him. Shifty eyes.” Chloe turned her back on Mr. Blackcrow, giving Lucifer a _cease-and-desist_ glare but he ignored her. “Or no, sorry, her. The ginger. She’s got that _I like to watch the life drain out of people_ look. Like I’m the only one who sees it!” He raised his voice in her direction, and Chloe was forced to put a hand on his arm. He looked down at her, finally stopping his rant. She shook her head slightly. She’d speak with him later, not in front of people.

“No way one of my kids did this,” Blackcrow argued. “They all walk the Firehawk path. This is a place of transformation.”

“Uh, no,” Lucifer said again, “this is a scam.” Chloe bit her tongue. She wanted to stop him again, but there was always the chance that Mr. Blackcrow was trying to protect the reputation of his camp by hiding the identity of a murderer, and Lucifer’s needling might help flush out the truth. At the very least it would be better for Lucifer to get it all out of his system. “People can’t be changed,” he asserted. “Trust me; I know.”

Chloe blinked, looking back at him. Was _that_ what this was all about?

“Perhaps they just need the right kind of motivation,” Blackcrow said passionately, taking steps toward them. “As a former addict and ex-con, I’m living proof that people can change.” Chloe shaded her eyes, watching his expression. He spoke like it was a spiel he’d had to give many times. “Our kids graduate to better lives.”

Before either of them could respond, Ella came up behind Mr. Blackcrow. “Sorry to get all interrupt-y, but they just found this tool belt in the victim’s office. Looks like an item’s missing.”

“Pruning saw’s gone,” Blackcrow assessed.

 _Way to go, Lucifer,_ Chloe thought. “Let me guess,” she said aloud. “Four to five inches, serrated blade?” She could feel Lucifer’s smug gloating already. “It’s our missing murder weapon; whose tool belt is this?”

“One of the residents,” Blackcrow admitted. “Only they receive them.”

“Ah, well, game, set, match, _moi._ ” Lucifer didn’t waste any time, pronouncing the French like a kiss. “It appears one of your pupils has just graduated to Murder One.”

“Okay, we need to find out which resident last had that toolbelt,” Chloe said quickly, trying to keep on track.

“The checkout log is in the barn,” Blackcrow supplied, leading the way. Chloe gave Lucifer a quelling look, hoping it would register, as a resident fell into step beside them. 

“Okay, Lucifer, you’ve made your point,” she said quietly, watching Mr. Blackcrow’s back. “But now everyone on this ranch is a suspect, so…”

“Don’t speculate in front of suspects,” Lucifer recited. He sighed. “Very well, Detective.” She smiled up at him to take the sting from her words. If it wasn’t for the need to present a professional front, she would have taken his hand, but she let her knuckles brush against his as they entered the barn.

Once there, however, they encountered a new stumbling block for Lucifer.

“Nine-five-four-four.” Chloe read the number off the belt to a resident named Colin, who checked the log.

“We keep strict records of all the equipment issued to the kids,” Blackcrow stated. “Taking care of your gear is the sixth stepping stone on the Firehawk path to healing.”

“Is stepping stone seven ‘use said gear to kill someone you hate?’” Lucifer quipped. Chloe glanced up at him, watching as he contorted tack with a gleeful expression, but she had to admit he had a point. Mr. Blackcrow seemed to care much more about promoting his program than he did about finding out who killed his counselor.

“Uh, excuse me.” Chloe could already tell by Lucifer’s tone that this wasn’t going to be good. “What is that? The badge.” He pointed at the camp crest pinned to the resident’s hoodie. Chloe was surprised he’d even noticed.

“Uh, those are Colin’s Firehawk wings.” Blackcrow sounded surprised too. “Highest honour here.”

Lucifer laughed derisively. “Wings? As an honour? Is this a joke?” 

Oh. Now Chloe understood, when it was too late to stop what was happening.

“No,” Blackcrow said, bristling. “It’s part of the reward system. The better residents behave, the more benefits they earn. Wings are only given to those who’ve truly reformed. They get the most sought-after privileges, like computer time, phone calls…”

“Hold on.” Lucifer rounded on Blackcrow. “You curtail the free will of these rebellious souls by making them follow your rules, and then you trick them into thinking they’ve changed by giving them wings?” He shook his head. “A most vile manipulation,” he said. “And completely unoriginal, I might add.”

“Lucifer -” Chloe didn’t know if she wanted to chastise him or comfort him. Maybe both. She’d known he hated his wings but she hadn’t truly understood what he meant when he called them his Father’s manipulation.

“Tyson Chase.” Before she could say anything more, Colin spoke up, having finally found the entry. “The tool belt - it was assigned to Tyson Chase.”

Chloe leapt at the chance to change the subject. “Where can we find Tyson?”

Mr. Blackcrow led the way to the dorms. Chloe was hoping to use the time to have another talk with Lucifer but his long, angry strides were keeping him up front with Blackcrow. He had a point to prove, and he wouldn’t rest until he’d done so.

Blackcrow indicated Tyson’s room. “That one.”

Chloe pulled out her gun. “Okay, let me go in first.”

Lucifer scoffed, and she turned to glare at him. “Follow your protocol if you must, Detective, but he won’t be there.” He was practically bouncing on his toes, an eager light in his eyes. It didn’t help that she privately agreed with him.

She eased the door open with her foot, casing the corners, but it was obvious that the small room was unoccupied. She holstered her weapon, giving the room’s contents a cursory glance. From the state of the disordered drawers and items strewn everywhere, all the signs were there of someone who’d packed and left in a hurry.

“Well, it appears Tyson used his wings to fly the coop!” Lucifer’s voice was gleeful. “Still think people can change?”

Chloe had to get him out of there. “Okay, Mr. Blackcrow, we’ll take it from here,” she said. “We’ll get a search warrant out for Tyson. Please inform us if he makes any attempt to contact you or any of the residents.” She ignored Lucifer’s disbelieving sound, handing Blackcrow her card. “Thank you for your help.”

Back in the cruiser, Lucifer was triumphant. “I told you! I told you people don’t change. And do you know how I knew?” He continued without waiting for a response. “Because never, not once, has any human soul escaped from Hell.”

Chloe whipped her head around. “What?” Everything she’d been planning to say flew out of her mind in an instant as she gaped at him.

The manic grin was still on Lucifer’s face. “Oh yes. That’s the beauty of it. See, none of the doors in Hell are locked. All you have to do to leave is break free of your guilt. But no one ever has, and no one ever will, because people don’t change. They can’t. You’d rather wallow in your mistakes. Well. Certainly makes our job that much easier.”

Chloe swallowed, taking a moment to process that bombshell. Lucifer sat next to her in smug silence.

“Is _that_ why you were asking if you’d changed?” she blurted out. Immediately she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Lucifer’s expression darkened.

“I _haven’t_ changed,” he growled. “No matter what _Dad_ might think.”

“Right,” Chloe said, thrown by his sudden mood swings. “As we’ve established. And besides, I thought you were going to quit worrying about what God thinks and just live your own life?” She’d known all along it was going to be easier said than done.

“Yes, well, it’s a bit harder to do when He’s tacked a great fat seal of approval to my back.”

“Lucifer.” She put a hand on his leg, which stilled under her touch. “We will find out what happened to you,” she promised again. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long. But the program at Firehawk Ranch doesn’t have anything to do with you, yeah? Don’t let it get to you.”

Lucifer nodded but didn’t say anything, and Chloe knew she hadn’t convinced him. He didn’t seem to be able to decide if his wings were intended as a punishment, a form of control, or a sign of forgiveness. Maybe the three were one and the same.

It wasn’t as though Chloe had any particular insight, but what she did know was that Lucifer was at war with himself. He’d said he didn’t want forgiveness, only what he’d meant was that he didn’t _want_ to want it. Clearly, this was the wrong way to go about it in any case. Her job convincing him he didn’t _need_ forgiveness had just gotten that much harder.

Chloe hesitated. She didn’t like asking Lucifer about Hell, but he’d brought up the topic himself this time, and left her with questions that couldn’t be ignored. She hadn’t asked them earlier because she thought she knew the gist: bad - Hell, good - Heaven. Now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“So, how does Hell… work, exactly?” Chloe asked tentatively. Lucifer stilled, and she hurried on. “I mean, you just said it was based on guilt, right? So what about psychopaths? People who don’t feel guilt?”

Lucifer relaxed infinitesimally. “That’s a good question, actually,” he said, sounding impressed. “Well, why else do you suppose there’s an Angel of Death? Dad had to keep Azrael from becoming obsolete somehow. She catches those filthy souls and takes them where they belong. Those are the doors that _are_ locked.”

His voice was smooth and sinister, and Chloe suppressed a shiver. It was a voice that went along with his other face, but when she glanced over it was still the regular Lucifer sitting next to her.

“Of course, they can’t be trusted to punish themselves, so that’s where the demons and I come - _came_ \- in.” He paused. “Well, I assume the demons are still torturing.” A shrug. “No matter.”

Chloe suddenly found it difficult to breathe. For all that Lucifer professed to enjoy punishing, her heart still ached to think of him, forced into being a torturer by his own Father, no less, even as she knew that Lucifer’s very nature wouldn’t allow such souls to go unpunished.

“What about the opposite?” she asked. Lucifer raised a brow in silent question. “Like, people feel guilty for things that aren’t their fault, all the time. What happens to them?”

Lucifer thought for a moment, and she could tell it wasn’t something he usually concerned himself with.

“I expect you’ll find,” he began, “that most of those feelings are superficial. They don’t touch the soul.” He paused again. “Should that not be the case… I suppose that would also be my sister’s domain.” She could tell he was a little unnerved by the fact that it hadn’t occurred to him before. After a moment, he shook off the thought. “So you see, Detective, you have nothing to worry about.” The smile he gave her was brittle, but it was still a smile.

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek. She still had quite a bit to worry about regarding her eventual fate, but given Lucifer’s negative reaction whenever they spoke of it, she knew better than to bring it up again.

When they arrived back at the precinct, Chloe worked quickly to get her hands on everything she could find on Tyson Chase.The picture that was emerging was bleak.

“Tyson’s father’s in jail, mother’s dead. Foster care,” Chloe read out. “In and out of juvie since he was seven.” Younger than Trixie. Chloe felt terrible. That wasn’t any kind of life. “Record is sealed.”

“Judging by the size of his file, Firehawk Ranch was probably Tyson Chase’s last stop before a long stay at Chino or San Quentin,” Dan accurately surmised.

Chloe made a noncommittal sound. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about Trixie. They ran into these sorts of stories every once in a while. It never got any easier. “You get something from MTA?” she asked, indicating the file Dan held.

“Yup.” She could tell Dan was affected too and trying not to show it. “Camera caught him exiting a station in Hollywood. No sign of him after that.”

“Hey Decker, how’s it going with the Firehawk case?”

Chloe whirled at Pierce’s sudden appearance.

“Very well, sir,” she said, rising. “Murder weapon still missing, although we’ve identified a suspect: Tyson Chase. He’s a resident; there’s a BOLO out.”

Pierce took in the information. “So no one’s in custody yet?” 

“Not yet,” she answered, thrown.

“I thought you’d be further along,” Pierce drawled, giving her a disappointed look before moving on. Beyond him in the conference room, Ella had been watching the exchange and started fanning her crotch with a file folder. Chloe’s eyes narrowed, and she shook her head at the lab tech, resisting the urge to look around for Lucifer. She was going to have to find a way to have a word with Ella about her over-enthusiastic assumptions, whether that meant revealing her relationship with Lucifer, or just telling the truth, that they made her feel uncomfortable.

She turned her back on Ella, who was now making pelvic-thrust gestures. 

“Wow,” Dan said, and she couldn’t tell if he meant for Pierce’s behaviour or Ella’s.

“Why is Pierce such a dick to me?” Chloe burst out. It made sense now that they’d had their tension-fraught conversation in his office, but they’d gotten off on the wrong foot from the start, and it had been completely on Pierce’s end.

“Who cares?” Dan replied bitterly. “He’s a dick to everybody.” He settled back down on her desk again.

“No, but I seem to be getting extra helpings of his dickishness.” Chloe was too riled to sit. “I know he’s considered a rock star downtown with the suits, but if he’s got a problem with me, I want to find out, I want to fix it, and I don’t want it messing with my career.”

“Maybe you’re not the problem,” Dan suggested carefully, nodding towards Lucifer who was making his way toward them, two coffees in hand. He stopped to take a swig of his flask before reaching her desk.

Chloe gritted her teeth. She knew Lucifer was having a rough time but if he wasn’t careful he could jeopardize their entire partnership. Pierce might be a dick, but if he decided to take issue, he would be completely in the right. She watched as Lucifer arrived at her desk, small smile on his face. Was that the choice she was going to be called to make? Lucifer or her career?

“Ooh, looks like someone could use a single-malt cappuccino.” Lucifer offered the first mug in his hand as Chloe simply stared at him. “Single-malt latte?” he suggested, undeterred.

“Lucifer,” Chloe sighed, caught between laughter and frustration, “we’re at work.”

Lucifer put one of the mugs down with a shrug, taking a sip from the other one. “Yes, and we’ve hit a snag, so…” He indicated the coffee.

“We’ve been over this.” Chloe reminded him of the disastrous time he’d brought her a coffee that was mostly vodka at eight in the morning. “If Pierce sees you drinking on the job - again - who knows what he’ll do. He’s already breathing down my neck on this case for some reason. I don’t need you complicating things.”

She stopped herself before it turned into even more of a rant, but it was too late. Lucifer drew himself up, stung.

“Well then, allow me to un-complicate matters. Catching this little degenerate is quite simple. Whatever Tyson’s sin was in the past, he’s back at it. And you know why? People don’t change.” He shot her a challenging glance as he took another sip of his coffee. Chloe swore inwardly.

“We don’t know his crimes,” Dan chimed in. “His record’s sealed. Tyson’s a minor.”

“Well, I’ll call a judge, get it unsealed,” Chloe said, hoping to show Lucifer that she was taking his advice. It was a good lead, even if she didn’t agree with his methods. “It may take a few days.” She sighed at the thought of what Pierce would have to say to that.

“Or not,” Lucifer suggested, and Chloe braced herself. “I may have a way to cut a few corners.”

“Getting caught cutting corners is the last thing I need right now, Lucifer,” Chloe said. A few people glanced over at them before going back to what they were doing. Before Lucifer’s expression could close further, Chloe sat down, leaning toward him.

“What did you have in mind, exactly?” she asked, _sotto voce._ She wasn’t about to turn down a potential lead that might get Pierce off her back, so long as it wasn’t too outlandish.

Lucifer’s eyes warmed slightly, and he inclined his head. “I’ll just call in a favour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer wouldn't be Lucifer if he didn't still act out a little bit, right? Poor guy's going through a lot. But at least now Chloe knows what's going on and will support him! This is also my own personal headcanon about how Hell works. I don't think it clashes that much with what we've been told in the show; I just didn't like the idea of people who didn't feel guilt for their horrible behaviour (*cough* Cain) getting into Heaven.


	11. High

“Do I want to know what sort of favour this is, Lucifer?” Chloe asked as they got in the car.

Lucifer glanced over at her, annoyed. “Probably not, but that’s never stopped you from asking before.”

Chloe set her jaw. “What’s the favour?” she asked.

Lucifer made an exaggerated gesture, as if to say _see?_ “Some months ago, I was spending time with a woman named Lexy when her husband came home.” Lucifer recounted the story with no hesitation. Chloe fought back the instinctive wave of jealousy that washed over her. He’d been careful to specify that this had been from a time long before they were together, but other than that, he was taking no steps to soften the story for her at all, and she knew he was hoping to get a rise out of her.

“It turned out that what the man truly desired was to go back to his ex-wife,” Lucifer was saying. “He’d been, shall we say, _overly hasty_ in their separation, on account of Lexy’s yoga instructor physique.” His voice was completely neutral, but Chloe still clenched her hands around the steering wheel. Being with Lucifer was a constant battle with her insecurities, and the way he was acting now wasn’t helping. “So, we struck a deal. I would keep his new bride sexually satisfied while he reconnected with his old one.”

Chloe felt sick to her stomach. She couldn’t look at him. She’d known Lucifer was promiscuous but it was easier to deal with as a general concept rather than in painstaking detail.

“The arrangement ended about a week after that,” Lucifer added more gently. “Lexy found someone else, and I was no longer required to fulfil my end of the bargain. Last I heard, she’d been arrested for public indecency.”

 _Of course she was_ , Chloe thought. She almost wished the favour was of a more illicit variety. Every detail of the story seemed designed to make her feel worse.

“But, it means the judge still owes me a favour,” Lucifer said briskly. “So I’ll just get him to unseal Tyson’s file, and we can proceed with the case.”

“Great,” Chloe said, throwing the car into park as they reached the end of the long, sweeping drive. Lucifer looked at her without speaking, and they both got out of the car.

Chloe was an LA homicide detective. She was used to investigating the homes of the rich and powerful. But after Lucifer’s tale, it was brought home to her yet again how he had (up until very recently) lived his life. Flitting from mansion to mansion, from moneyed lonely housewives to desperate closeted heirs, the deepest desire of each. Ruthlessly shoving back her feelings of inadequacy, she followed Lucifer as he charmed his way inside, waltzing in like he owned the place, making his way unerringly to an upstairs bedroom (because, she reminded herself, he’d been here before. At least once).

He threw open the door without a hint of self-consciousness to reveal an older man and woman sitting on the bed, a stack of cards between them.

The man sighed. “Go fish,” he said, looking at the woman with clear adoration. Chloe blinked. She was hardly one to judge how people spent their time but even Trixie was bored by Go Fish. She supposed she ought to be grateful that was all they were doing.

“Hello, Judgy,” Lucifer sang out. “And this must be Marsha.” He indicated the woman.

“Uh, Lucifer,” the judge said, clearly uncomfortable, though he was reacting fairly well for someone whose ex-wife’s lover had just shown up unexpectedly in his bedroom. His eyes flicked to Chloe, standing awkwardly in the doorway. “What do you want?”

Except it was obvious what they were here for, and Lucifer didn’t waste any time.

“That favour returned,” he said, silky smooth. Chloe found herself wondering if anyone had refused to pay up when the time came. “I need your help proving a young deplorable hasn’t reformed and never will.” He waited a beat while the room’s other three occupants looked at each other. “Your turn to pick from the pile, I think?” he prompted, when there was no movement. Chloe could only shake her head.

Signed waiver procured, they went to the courthouse to access Tyson’s file. Lucifer turned on the radio as soon as they got into the car, just loud enough to discourage conversation. He couldn’t have made it clearer that he felt he’d said all he needed to say.

Chloe frowned inwardly. She didn’t like this tension between them, but she didn’t know what to do to fix it, especially since she wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from in the first place. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been here before. She insisted he follow the rules; he retorted with something snarky and either grudgingly acquiesced or went off on his own. Only this time, she’d explained why it was important, had thought he understood, but he was still acting as though he didn’t care whether Pierce fired him.

Lucifer remained uncharacteristically quiet as Chloe got the sealed files released to her. Her relief that he wasn’t making this process more difficult than it needed to be was outweighed by her concern. Lucifer being quiet was never a good sign.

“There,” he said suddenly. From where he’d been reading over her shoulder, he indicated a vintage car lot listed on the report. She turned to look at him. “It says there Tyson likes to steal cars to pay for his drugs, with a marked preference for vintage muscle cars. That lot’s specialty. He’s been arrested there twice before, so it stands to reason he’d go back. Humans: always so predictable.”

“Okay,” she said, closing up the file, choosing to let his dig at her species slide.

“Look, Detective, if you don’t believe me-” Lucifer began, before pausing as her words registered. He looked at her suspiciously. “What do you mean, _okay_?”

“I said okay,” Chloe repeated. “It’s a reasonable deduction - he’s been there twice already, he’s familiar with it enough to get in and out quickly. If we can’t catch him, we might be able to trace his movements through his theft. Vintage muscle cars aren’t that difficult to track.” She jerked her head at him. “Come on, let’s go.”

On the road, Chloe caught him still looking at her in disbelief. She bit her lip before speaking.

“Lucifer, you know that I value your insight, yeah?”

Lucifer blinked.

“You make me a better detective,” Chloe told him. “You always have. I want to keep working with you. That’s why I’m asking you to play by the rules, at least while Pierce is around.”

“You do realize that following rules is the exact opposite of what I do?” Lucifer broke in.

Chloe breathed heavily through her nose. “Okay, but right now, Pierce is apparently looking for any excuse to bench you. You need to do more than just not throw suspects off buildings, at least until he gets off our backs. I value our partnership, and I _know_ it means a lot to you too. But I can’t make you decide whether punishing bad guys is worth following the rules sometimes. That’s up to you.”

Lucifer was silent, and Chloe let the matter drop.

* * *

 

Chloe hadn’t expected Tyson to actually be there when they arrived, but by some astronomical stroke of fate, he was hotwiring a blue convertible. She put a hand on Lucifer’s arm and waited for the sound of the engine to start up before calling out.

“Tyson Chase! LAPD, get out of the car!”

The young man raised his hands, but didn’t budge. “How the hell did you find me?” he yelped.

Chloe circled around the car, weapon still holstered since it was clear Tyson was unarmed.

“You’ve been arrested here twice,” Lucifer stated, leaning against the hood of the car. “I guess third time’s the charm, and by charm, I mean us.”

“But my record’s sealed. How’d you know?” Tyson asked, still not getting out of the car. Chloe folded her arms low on her body, keeping her gun within easy reach without appearing too threatening.

“I called in a favour,” Lucifer told him, unconcerned. “I needed to prove to that charlatan at Firehawk Ranch that you are and always will be a criminal.” He opened the driver side door, tearing the wires under the steering wheel apart for good measure, and Tyson stepped out.

“Whatever, man,” Tyson said sullenly. “Look, if you guys are cops, I got nothing to say.”

“That’s your right,” Chloe acknowledged, cuffing him. “Tyson Chase, you’re under arrest.”

* * *

 

“Filthy liar.”

Lucifer pronounced his judgement as they all stood in the observation room off Interrogation: Pierce and Dan had joined them.

“I believe him.” Chloe shook her head. “My gut tells me it’s not him.” She had nothing concrete on which to base that assessment, only the fact that it had been far too easy to find Tyson. His story had resonated with her as well. _We kissed one time but she said it was a mistake_. Chloe resisted the urge to look at Lucifer. Once upon a time, she’d been in Emily’s place, and it wasn’t any easier than Tyson’s. “And I want to explore this mystery resident that Emily wanted to expel.”

“How much walking and talking like a murderous, sociopathic duck is necessary for us to realize the killer is sitting in our laps?” Lucifer’s voice was strident, but that was nothing new - she was used to him latching onto a suspect and not letting go. He needed Tyson to be guilty to prove his theory, and that was actually fine by her - playing Devil’s advocate with the actual Devil was a good way to get to the truth of a case, after all.

Dan gave a short laugh behind them.

Chloe cast a look at Dan - nothing that had been said so far would have warranted that reaction, and she could have sworn she’d heard him get a text.

“Something you’d like to add here, Espinoza?” Pierce intoned, without turning.

“Uh, no,” Dan stammered. “Sorry, I just… I need to go help a friend who’s in trouble.”

“Well, don’t let your day job keep you.” Pierce’s voice was as neutral as ever but contained all the bluntness Chloe had come to expect from him.

Dan exhaled slowly. “I’ll have the victim’s files sent over,” he offered. “Maybe we can get a lead on whoever she wanted to expel.” He left the room. Chloe pressed her lips together. She thought it was odd behaviour for Dan - at least since Palmetto - but she had too much else to worry about, especially once Pierce spoke again.

“I doubt I could be less impressed by the lack of consensus here. All we have now is no murder weapon and a possible motive?”

Chloe frowned, biting her tongue on a retort. A minor disagreement between partners was not a ‘lack of consensus’ - if they'd been in agreement regarding Tyson’s guilt there would be no reason to even be having this conversation. And she still had no idea why Pierce was adamant that she close this case so quickly.

“We gotta cut him loose,” she said, ignoring Lucifer’s scoff behind her. “Without a murder weapon, we don’t have enough evidence to keep him.”

She heard the sound of a door closing and looked up. Lucifer had gone back into interrogation.

 _“Hello, Tyson,”_ he said, advancing on the young man. _“Just me, this time.”_ His voice was cheerful enough, but his body language exuded danger - a hunter stalking his prey. Chloe’s eyes flicked to Pierce, who remained impassive. She clenched her fists and forced herself to let this play out - for now. She needed to show Pierce that she trusted Lucifer to take initiative.

Lucifer placed his hands on the table, looming over Tyson, who shrank back in his chair. While Chloe didn’t necessarily approve of what Lucifer was doing, she could still appreciate his effortless technique.

 _“Now, why can’t you embrace your true self, hmm?”_ Lucifer purred. _“You’re a bad seed; just celebrate the darkness inside.”_

Chloe suppressed a shiver. This was the exact opposite of helpful. They didn’t need more of Tyson protesting his innocence, they needed a lead they could use.

Whatever Tyson saw in Lucifer’s face terrified him. _“No, please! Just leave me alone!”_ Chloe looked carefully, but she didn’t think Lucifer was using his other form (that would be reckless, even for him, knowing Pierce was watching). Regardless, this had gone far enough.

Lucifer grasped the front of Tyson’s shirt. _“I won’t leave you alone until you tell me the truth,”_ he hissed. Chloe activated the intercom over the sound of Tyson’s protests.

“Lucifer, let him go,” she ordered. Lucifer paused, looking over his shoulder toward where he knew she was standing, and she saw him slowly come back to himself. She heaved an inward sigh of relief before turning her attention to damage control. She looked at Pierce. “I take full responsibility for his actions,” she said firmly. “This won’t happen again.” She wouldn’t be so slow to act, next time.

Pierce’s expression was contemplative. “Why not?” he drawled. Chloe barely kept her eyebrows from shooting up. “Kid turns out not to be the murderer, your friend just scared him straight.”

The lieutenant stepped past her, which was good, as it gave Chloe time to school her face to impassivity. She had a lot to process. Pierce, for all his noise about Lucifer being a loose cannon who needed to be reined in, had now completely changed his tune. Not to mention, he’d called Lucifer her “friend,” rather than her partner, and his lack of professionalism continued to grate on her when he’d just taken Dan to task for the same thing.

Pierce activated the intercom. “Well done, Lucifer,” he said, and Chloe blinked. No one in a position of authority ever said that to Lucifer. “Way to be a good influence.”

Chloe didn’t think she was imagining the subtle influence he placed on the word “good,” and that suspicion was confirmed when Pierce smirked and left the room without saying anything else, not even waiting to hear Lucifer’s response.

“ _How dare you say that!”_ Lucifer sounded scandalized, looking back at Tyson. “ _See what you’ve done now?”_ He straightened up to his full height, adjusting his vest. Tyson stared back, shell-shocked. _“I’ll show them a good influence,”_ Lucifer said lightly, but with an undercurrent of something darker. Then he strode from the room.

Chloe had to run to catch up with him. “Lucifer,” she called, but he didn’t stop. “Lucifer, wait!” He finally halted but didn’t turn, waiting instead for her to reach him. She pulled him into a spare office, closing the door behind them.

“Is that what this is really about?” she asked quietly. Lucifer wouldn’t meet her eyes, looking away with knitted eyebrows. “You asking if you’d changed. Are you worried you’re like… turning good, or something?” She caught a flash of dark brown as he looked at her, and then away again.

“Lucifer.” She shoved her hands into her pockets, wanting to touch him but knowing the signs well enough to guess that it would not be well received. She would have to choose her next words with great care. This was the crux of the existential crisis Lucifer had been undergoing for the past little while. “Pierce was just saying that to get a rise out of you.”

Lucifer huffed. “Well, it worked.”

Chloe had to touch him then, carefully, resting her hand in the crook of his arm. She could feel his heat through his suit jacket. “Listen to me,” she said, keeping her voice low. “He said exactly what he knew would set you off. This whole time he’s been going on about how he doesn’t trust your judgement, and then all of a sudden you’re a good influence while you’re roughing up a suspect?”

Rue flickered across Lucifer’s face before it settled back into displeasure. He clearly thought she was expecting an apology and was refusing to give one; Chloe, on the other hand, had bigger things to worry about. A worrying picture was starting to emerge.

“He’s been playing us,” she said, and Lucifer’s gaze sharpened, focussing on her at last. “Ever since the beginning. He’s been taking it in turns, first ignoring me in favour of you, and then talking about you to me behind your back. He warned me about you breaching protocol, and then he blatantly goes against his own rules, just to taunt you into doing something he can bench you for.”

Lucifer’s scowl was thunderous. “And I played straight into his hands.”

“Hey.” Chloe grasped his other arm as well. She wanted to touch his face but remembered at the last moment that they were still at work, in plain view of anyone walking by. She waited until he looked back at her. “You’ve been dealing with a lot. And I didn’t put it together until just now. You didn’t hear him when we were talking in his office. He’s up to something.”

Lucifer pondered - no longer as upset, Chloe was relieved to see. “What do you suggest we do?”

Pushing aside the fact that the Devil was asking for her advice, Chloe thought about it. She’d thought the choice would be between Lucifer and her career, but if Pierce had his own agenda, that made things very simple.

“Let him think he’s succeeded,” she said decisively. “We’ve got the advantage - he doesn’t know we’re onto him.”

Lucifer blinked at her. “So if he thinks he’s driven a wedge between us…” he began slowly.

“... We might get a glimpse of what he’s really planning,” Chloe finished, smirking up at him.

“Why, Detective!” Lucifer grinned, mischievousness adorning his features. “How delightfully devious. I didn’t know you had it in you.” There was still something else lurking in the back of his expression, and Chloe thought she knew what it was. Their relationship was still very new to be tested in such a way. They were barely even together, and now they would have to pretend to be pushed apart. This would be a trust exercise for both of them.

Chloe tapped her chin, pondering. “We need a way to make Pierce think we’re fighting,” she mused. Something flashed across Lucifer’s face too fast to catch. He nodded.

“I want you to go to the ranch,” she said, and Lucifer blinked in surprise. Whatever he’d been expecting her to say, it wasn’t that. “You said you’d show us a good influence, right? You’re not a cop - the kids will respond to you. You might be able to get them to talk, or maybe even draw out the resident.”

“Kill two birds with one stone; I like it,” Lucifer said, pride and something deeper shining in his eyes. Chloe found herself blushing, and ducked her head.

“Just one thing,” Lucifer continued, and a note in his voice made her look up at him again. There was an odd mixture of hesitance and defiance on his features. “In order to ingratiate myself with these miscreants, I might have to…”

“Bend the rules a bit? Yeah, that’s what I’m counting on,” Chloe agreed, and Lucifer’s mouth opened slightly; he was clearly floored. “What better excuse for me to get upset with you? Then I can pretend to send you home, and we’ll get a chance to see what Pierce is up to.”

Lucifer was still in mild shock. “You trust me that much?” he asked.

“I do,” Chloe answered, without hesitation. “With any luck we’ll be able to flush out the resident that was causing tension and get one up on Pierce.” She smiled at him. “What else are partners for?”

The hand Lucifer placed on her shoulder was trembling slightly. “Good plan,” he managed at last. Chloe’s smile turned wicked.

“Not just a pretty face,” she joked, and Lucifer’s mouth quirked.

“Though you are that as well,” he said.

Chloe felt her blush deepen. “Go on then,” she said, squeezing his hand before giving him a gentle push in the direction of the door. “Show us a good influence. Let me know when you’ve got something and I’ll come ‘bust’ you.” She made emphatic use of air quotes, and Lucifer shook his head in apparent wonder and admiration, looking back at her as he left the office.

Chloe took a moment to compose herself. It had been so hard not to kiss him senseless when he looked at her like that.

She went back to her desk, reading through the files Dan had pulled, trying to bury her feelings in the dull task. She found that Emily had clashed with quite a few residents, but it was all typical stuff, nothing that read like a motive for murder, especially not with a pruning saw.

Right near the bottom of the pile, though, she read an entry that made her sit up and take notice. She picked up her phone. Still no message from Lucifer, but it hadn’t been that long yet.

< _Vic confronted resident over drug op_ >

She’d just hit send when a text popped up from Lucifer.

< _Carly Glantz._ >

She huffed a laugh, keeping her face neutral so that no one would see her grinning at her phone, and sent a smile emoji on its way. They’d sent their texts at the same time. Partners indeed.

< _Prepare to be busted_ >

There was a long pause, but by the time Chloe had made it to her car, she’d received a shock emoji followed by Lucifer’s habitual devil. She let the smile she’d been fighting spread across her face. She wouldn’t let Pierce take this from them. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a bit of a change to the episode! Let me know what you thought? :D


	12. Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm flattered that so many of you seem to think that my characterization of Pierce is what was intended by the writers! But the truth is, it's purely my extrapolation based on where I _think_ they could have taken him. Remember that in canon Pierce and Chloe's conversation in his office had nothing to do with Lucifer - Chloe was asking about the union rep position, a subplot which I nixed because the poor girl has enough on her plate. The conversation between Chloe and Lucifer in the last chapter where they planned to expose Pierce seemed like the next logical step. I actually don't think Pierce was actively trying to separate them in the episode - I think he just took advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself. Having established Deckerstar requires that I give him a more consistent motive, and I worked hard to make sense of it.

Arriving at the ranch, Chloe found everything suspiciously quiet. None of the residents were in evidence. She made her way through the property, heading for the barn once she caught the sound of voices. Walking inside, she witnessed a sort of controlled chaos. Gaggles of kids were in every corner; she saw a photoshoot, some sort of television lounge set up using hay bales, and various other miscellaneous activities. By far, however, most residents were gathered in the centre, around a whiteboard proudly proclaiming HOW TO DEAL DRUGS - THE RIGHT WAY, featuring a smiling cannabis leaf. Chloe fought the urge to facepalm.

Of course, the most notable feature of the room was Lucifer, _riding a horse_ , with a cloud of smoke around his head. For half a second, she saw an image of him as he’d been, the Lord of Hell astride a fiery steed, descending with clouds. Then she blinked, and the moment passed, leaving only her partner on his literal high horse.

“Lucifer!” she called, not needing to feign exasperation.

He turned the horse faster than she would have believed possible, his hands sure on the reins despite the haze of marijuana clinging to him.

“Detective!” He sounded absolutely delighted. “So good of you to join us!”

“What is going on here?” she asked, with genuine curiosity. “And where did you get that horse?” _How_ he got the horse was probably a better question - they were in a stable after all - but Chloe supposed it didn’t really matter.

“What horse?” Lucifer responded, even as he dismounted. “Bye!” He waved the horse away like they were best friends. “They should award him his wings; then he’d look like Pegasus.”

That threw Chloe for a second. Was Pegasus a real thing? She shook herself out of it; Lucifer sounded completely wasted.

“You’re teaching the kids to sell drugs?” she asked flatly.

“They would have done it anyway,” he answered, a defensive note in his voice. “So I thought I’d impart my advice to those who desired it.” He indicated the corner where the photoshoot was ongoing. “Giselle over there wants to be an Instagram model, and Kyle just wants to rot his brain with violent media, not be violent himself.” He sounded almost proud. If Chloe thought this was straying dangerously close to an alternative job fair for youths, she knew better than to say so.

“Speaking of -” He waved over a blonde girl who had the stereotypical sassy, sullen teen act on lock. “Carly, front and centre.” The girl sauntered up to them, and Lucifer patted her clumsily on the shoulder.

“My prized pupil,” he said. “She already had her own weed operation up and running.”

“Oh,” Chloe said, as though this news was a surprise to her. “So what did you do when Ms. Goddard found out about it?”

Carly smirked, and all Chloe could think was that she sincerely hoped Trixie would skip this phase. “Not saying a word without my lawyer,” Carly said, with all the unfounded certainty of the young, and Chloe found herself wanting to wipe that smug look off her face.

“That’s fine; we can discuss this down at the precinct,” she said, keeping her tone even. “Playtime’s over.” Her plan with Lucifer had worked perfectly... or, almost perfectly.

“Are you _actually high?”_ Chloe muttered to Lucifer as they walked back to her car. Lucifer shrugged, looking almost sheepish.

“I, er, didn’t count on how much it would affect me once you showed up,” he explained, and Chloe shook her head, rolling her eyes.

“And the horse?” she inquired. Lucifer frowned. _I swear, if he says there wasn’t a horse again_ … But to her relief, his expression cleared.

“Oh, you mean Arthur? That was just because I hadn’t ridden a horse in centuries, and he happened to be there. It was a convenient way to get around,” he said.

“Okay, well, I’d say I should leave so the drugs will stop affecting you, but I’m not letting you drive like that, so you’re stuck with me,” she said, sliding in the driver’s seat.

“No place I’d rather be,” Lucifer purred, giving her a lasviscious once over, and Chloe raised a hand.

“Nope, no distracting me. You’re going in the back with a bottle of water. You’ve got the whole drive back to LA to sober up.”

Lucifer whined, but Chloe put her foot down, both figuratively and literally, as she started the car. “You shouldn’t have been smoking at all; you should count yourself lucky I didn’t send you back with the other officers,” she said.

Lucifer slouched down in his seat, leaning his forehead against the window as he stared out at the passing scenery. Chloe wanted to tell him that she’d noticed the way he’d helped the residents fulfil their desires in a safe environment - she didn’t doubt that his lessons on how to sell drugs had emphasized the safest avenues; information that the kids wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. But given his response to Pierce’s praise, she didn’t think her appreciation would be welcome, so she settled for saying nothing, instead giving noncommittal replies as Lucifer babbled away behind her. At least he wasn’t complaining about her driving, for once.

“ _Hungry,_ ” Lucifer moaned as she pulled into the precinct parking lot. He sounded surprised, like his body had betrayed him. Chloe just rolled her eyes.

“That’ll be the munchies,” she said. She was not looking forward to dealing with a starving Devil. This was normally when she would have sent him home, but they needed to put on a show for Pierce, and she couldn’t think of a better opportunity.

Lucifer just scoffed. “I do not get the _munchies_ ,” he insisted, even as he made a beeline for the vending machine.

“You’ve also never gotten _high_ while you’re _mortal_ before,” Chloe hissed under her breath. Lucifer hummed, distracted by the snack options. With a sigh, she left him to it, eyeing him from her desk as he cleaned out the precinct’s stock of chips, grabbing an entire jar of Nutella off the break room counter for good measure. She stared, eyes wide, as he settled himself next to her, opened the jar, and proceeded to dunk chips in it, shoving them into his mouth by the handful without a hint of self-consciousness.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned back to her work, but it wasn’t long before Pierce appeared.

“How we doing on the investigation?” he asked.

Chloe braced herself. “Well, this investigation has… _smoked out_ Carly Glantz,” she said, clearing her throat before making the pun, only remembering afterward that she was supposed to be upset. “Rap sheet a mile long, made no progress at reform. Working theory is that she found out Emily was about to expel her.”

“So she killed her to protect herself and her operation,” Pierce surmised.

“And then, Carly lawyered up before we could get to her,” Chloe said.

Pierce didn’t react, either to her pun or the disappointing news. “Still no murder weapon?”

“And no evidence tying her to the scene,” Chloe added.

“Lucifer, any thoughts?” Pierce asked. Chloe was almost suspicious of how he was playing right into their hands - it should have been obvious to anyone that Lucifer was stoned out of his mind.

“Lucifer is not in the state of mind to offer any constructive advice, right now,” she interjected, hoping her tone sounded disapproving and not like she was trying to stifle a laugh.

“Reach for the unexpected, and allow yourself to be surprised,” Lucifer spoke over her, his mouth full, as they both turned to look at him. “Like crisps and chocolate. The results can be quite pleasing.” He dipped another chip into the Nutella as they watched. It broke in the jar but he still stuffed it in his mouth anyway. Chloe bit the inside of her cheek. _This_ was the dreaded Lord of Hell? She waited for Pierce’s meltdown.

“That’s good advice,” the lieutenant said, turning to her. “Decker, throw out the manual. Think outside the box.”

“Yes, Lieutenant!” Lucifer exclaimed, but Chloe frowned.

“What?” She sat forward in her chair. “I’m sorry; what are you asking me to do? Because Carly isn’t gonna talk.” Could it be this easy to get Pierce to admit what he was up to?

The sound of Lucifer biting into another chip broke the silence a moment before Carly’s voice came from behind her.

“I want to talk,” Carly said.

Lucifer made a disbelieving noise. “Allow yourself to be surprised, indeed,” he commented, but it was Chloe his eyes went to. He seemed to be expressing more that he wasn’t saying, and Chloe swallowed hard as she pushed her chair back.

“Okay,” she said neutrally, leading Carly and her lawyer into a conference room. Lucifer tagged along. Pierce walked away; apparently disinterested despite how hard he’d been hounding her to this point.

“So, you want to make a statement?” Chloe asked, once the door closed behind Lucifer.

“Yeah,” Carly replied, sounding like she would rather be doing literally anything else. “I guess I’ve been enlightened by the Firehawk Path, and I know I can’t find my happiness if I don’t present my truth.” Chloe could barely focus on the word salad Carly was reciting; Lucifer was trying to lick a stray bit of chocolate off his lip, and it was taking all of her self control to stay on this side of the table. “The night of the murder, I saw Tyson Chase digging by the sundial, burying something.”

Chloe forced her attention back to Carly with difficulty. _What sundial? Where?_ “Burying what?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Carly retorted. “It was dark, and I was looking through a window. Jeez, do I have to do all your work for you?” Chloe’s brow furrowed - it was extremely convenient information to suddenly bring to light.

“Carly, tone,” Carly’s lawyer said, and Chloe’s frown deepened - that wasn’t the way lawyers talked to their clients.

Carly scoffed. “Should I roll over and fetch too, Dad?”

Chloe’s expression eased. _Ah._ That made more sense.

Lucifer, of course, immediately took Carly’s side. “Parents, am I right?”

Chloe tried to get them back on track - she couldn’t afford to be derailed by Lucifer’s issues right now. “So how do I know you didn’t kill Emily?” she asked, hoping to scare their suspect, but Lawyer Dad spoke up.

“Because Carly has an ironclad alibi,” he said. Chloe kept her face even as she was handed a stack of paper. “During the murder, she was in the shared room on the computer, video chatting with her boyfriend.” She flipped through the stack; the times definitely matched up. She tried not to be disappointed - it was still something to be able to account for _someone’s_ whereabouts that night. She put the log down, convinced.

“Now, instead of harassing my daughter any further,” Carly’s father continued pompously, “I suggest you go see what’s under that sundial.” Carly gave an insolent stare, but Chloe didn’t notice, distracted by Lucifer’s lip again; he still hadn’t managed to wipe off all the chocolate, and it was driving her insane.

“Fine, Miss Glantz, you’re free to go,” she said abruptly. Both Carly and her father gave her looks as they left. Chloe couldn’t have cared less. As soon as they were out of sight, she grabbed Lucifer’s wrist, holding it low between their bodies as she led him through the precinct, hopefully discreetly enough not to draw any attention.

“Detective, what-?” Lucifer sounded bewildered, though he didn’t resist as she dragged him towards the evidence locker. Using her body to throw open the door, she shoved him ahead of her, backing him into a corner with only the briefest of glances around the room to ensure they were alone.

Lucifer was still making meaningless sounds with his mouth, but Chloe’s gaze had zeroed in on the offending smear of chocolate. She rose onto her tiptoes to swipe at it with her tongue.

Lucifer’s breath stuttered to a stop. Chloe clenched her hands on his shoulders.

“You - _infuriating_ \- man,” she gasped, in between kisses. He shouldn’t be allowed to do this to her.

Lucifer made a low sound, clinging to her. Chloe leaned her head against his chest, catching her breath. “Chloe, I-” he began, but her nerves were still singing with unresolved tension, and the rumble of his voice exacerbated it.

“ _Shut up_ ,” she said, pulling him in for a deeper kiss, which was sweetened by the taste of the chocolate as she sucked on his bottom lip. Lucifer rocked against her, moaning into her mouth, and somewhere very far away, she became aware that she needed to put a stop to this before it went any further.

With great effort, she pulled away, breathing heavily. Lucifer, meanwhile, looked like the wall was the only thing holding him up.

“Sorry,” Chloe said suddenly.

Lucifer’s eyes blearily focussed on her. “What...? Why...?” He sounded absolutely wrecked.

Chloe bit her lip, suddenly uncertain. “For just…” She indicated the situation in general.

Lucifer huffed a laugh. “In case I haven’t made it eminently clear, you’re welcome to accost me whenever -” he looked around “-and _wherever_ you desire,” he told her.

Chloe smiled back, relieved, keeping herself from doing just that by sheer force of will. “It’s your own fault for being so damn pretty,” she teased, lust still fizzing through her as she fought to get it under control.

To her surprise, his expression fell slightly, and he gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I’m not, really,” he said in a still voice. Chloe’s brow furrowed in confusion at the notion of Lucifer refusing a compliment, before discerning it was a test, of sorts. She felt a dull throb in her chest as she realized that despite all the strides they’d made in their relationship since she found out he was the Devil, she’d been willfully ignoring the sight that had made it all possible.

At first it had just been... easier, not to think about it, and as time passed it remained that way: she frolicked with her sexy partner, and every time a thought of the darker side would intrude she would just stuff it back into the box in her head labelled ‘Things I’m Not Prepared to Deal With.’ But how was that fair? Was it any surprise that he wondered whether her attraction to him was real?

He’d never demanded that she accept his other side; maybe it was time she showed him he didn’t have to.

“I know,” she said solemnly, the playful mood broken. Sound was deadened in the cramped room. Lucifer’s eyes held hers as she approached, wariness and something that looked very much like hope in his gaze. “Lucifer.” She took a deep breath. She hadn’t thought about his face in so long. Now it was all she could think about; seized by a morbid curiosity to see if it could really be as ravaged as she remembered. “Show me again.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened, and his breath caught. Despite the tense atmosphere, Chloe forced herself not to look away, to show him her sincerity. She saw him waver.

“Not… not here,” he said roughly, straightening his jacket, and the moment was lost. Chloe swallowed and nodded - it was his choice, of course. Probably for the best as they still had an investigation to run.

“Okay,” she said. “Later?” She saw the longing in his expression, the need to be accepted for his Devil face. She hoped it wasn’t fear of her reaction holding him back; in that moment, she saw that it was fear for himself, that he might be too overcome. Lucifer nodded slowly.

“If you wish it,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead, holding her close for a moment before steadying himself and pulling away. “Thank you.” He spoke so quietly she wasn’t sure she was supposed to have heard him.

Rather than respond, she gave him a bracing smile. “Ready to go find a murder weapon?”

*

“I don’t mean to backseat dig,” Lucifer drawled, taking a hearty swig from his flask as he sat on a tractor, still managing to look like he was in some kind of artisanal photoshoot, “but aren’t you a bit far from the sundial?”

Chloe shot a scowl back at him. Being around her had prolonged his high but she knew he was sober now and didn’t have an excuse.

“I got it, thanks,” she said. “At least, I hope I do,” she muttered to Ella, who had tagged along for forensic purposes. At least she was actually helping.

“Ella,” she said, figuring now was as good a time as any, “you’re sort of friendly with the lieutenant. What’s his deal?”

“Regarding what?” Ella simpered, and Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, having forgotten the conversation she’d had with her outside Pierce’s office.

“Well, no matter what I do, it seems Pierce wants to be a complete jerk to me,” Chloe said flatly, hoping to nip Ella’s odd fascination in the bud. She was unsuccessful.

“Oh, this isn’t about the crazy vibe between you two?” Ella asked. Chloe winced, hoping Lucifer wasn’t listening or couldn’t hear.

“No, this is about professional respect, which I’ve earned,” Chloe said. “I have the best close rate in the department, and it seems like, no matter where I turn, Pierce is there, questioning my judgement.” She frowned at Ella before the other woman could speak. “Besides, there is no _vibe_ ,” she said.

Ella smirked. “You sure about that?”

“Yup,” Chloe answered immediately. “One hundred percent. Apart from anything else, he’s my _boss_.” She didn’t want to say it was because of Lucifer, at least not while they were at work, but there were plenty of other reasons.

“Okay, okay,” Ella said, raising her hands. “Sorry, I won’t bring it up again.”

Chloe smiled. “Thanks, Ella.”

Ella smiled back. “Regardless, Decker, you are a total badass.”

“Of course she is,” Lucifer’s voice joined in. Chloe was spared having to respond when her trowel struck something.

“Nine five four four,” Chloe read off the blade that emerged. “It’s Tyson Chase’s serial number.” She looked at Lucifer. “I guess he is our killer.”

Lucifer was ecstatic. “See? What did I tell you? Once a bad guy, always a bad guy.”

Chloe, hearing again what he wasn’t saying, bit her lip and didn’t answer.

“The blood on Tyson Chase’s pruning saw matches the victim,” Pierce summarized when they met him back at the precinct. “Carly Glantz puts the bloody saw in his hands after the murder. So Tyson Chase equals homicidal maniac.” He looked between the two of them. “What am I missing?”

“Nothing,” Lucifer said quickly, yawning. Chloe blinked. She’d never once seen him yawn. “Sorry, it’s just exhausting being right all the time. I’m kidding - it’s amazing.”

“Wait a minute.” Chloe tapped her desk, interrupting Lucifer’s gloating. “What if Lucifer really is right?”

“Oh, go on.” Lucifer sounded delighted.

“Then if, per Lucifer, people really don’t reform, that would also apply to Carly Glantz. Once bad, always bad, right?”

“Right,” Lucifer said. “Finally, you get it.”

Chloe looked at him, but she couldn’t afford to get into the implications of what he was saying in front of Pierce. “So, then, how did the worst kid in the program, on the verge of expulsion, earn highly coveted computer privileges to video chat with her boyfriend?” Chloe posited, hoping to stump them.

Lucifer shrugged. “I don’t know. Sexual favours?”

Chloe would have taken him to task for that comment if she thought he considered it a negative thing.

She stacked her papers together. “Well, I want to go back and talk to Jerry Blackcrow, ask him some more questions. Something doesn’t add up.”

“You think Blackcrow’s involved?” Pierce asked, having been uncharacteristically silent while she and Lucifer hashed it out.

Chloe sighed. “I don’t know, maybe?” she said. “I want to know why Carly’s getting those privileges.” She turned to Lucifer. “Lucifer, you coming?”

“Oh, I can’t,” Lucifer said, just as they’d planned, as he checked his phone. “Sorry. Duty calls.”

Chloe couldn’t help her face falling a bit. “Really? You’re going to prioritize your other job when we’re this close to solving the case?”

Lucifer laughed. “Exactly! This case is already solved, and I solved it. My work here is done!”

Chloe clenched her jaw.

“Lucifer, go.” Pierce spoke up, and Lucifer turned in surprise. “You’ve earned some personal time.”

“Ah, well, thank you, Lieutenant.” Lucifer beamed as Chloe stared at Pierce. “I’m off. See you later, Detective!” He practically floated away.

Chloe didn’t chance looking after him. “I don’t care what you say,” she told Pierce. “I’m going to keep digging on this.”

“I think it’s time I ride along with you,” Pierce said in response and walked past her.

“Frankly, Lieutenant, just because you and I disagree does not mean I need a babysitter.” She knew she was pushing the envelope with her attitude, but that was kind of the point.

Pierce didn’t dignify her with a response. “You coming, Decker?”

Chloe blinked again and followed him. That had been almost too easy.

*

Pierce was largely silent on the drive to the ranch. Chloe wondered what Lucifer was doing - they hadn’t planned that part, and she just hoped he wasn’t following them. When they arrived at the ranch, however, Pierce was back to questioning her.

“Are you sure this is the right way?”

“Positive.” They continued walking in silence for a little while before Chloe spoke again. “I’m a badass, you know.” She didn’t need to say anything, of course - anyone who felt the need to proclaim themselves as such, wasn’t. But this was about trying to provoke Pierce into a revealing conversation.

“Excuse me?” Pierce said, but Chloe barrelled on.

“Even though you don’t trust me.”

“What makes you think I don’t trust you?” Pierce asked.

Chloe nearly laughed. “Oh, let’s see.” She pretended to think about it. “You’ve only been breathing down my neck this entire case. You chose to ride along just so you could check up on me. You told me you were concerned about Lucifer’s behaviour, and yet every time he sneezes, you praise him and berate me. Oh yeah, and you just asked me if we were going the right way, despite the fact that I’m the one who’s been here three times.”

Pierce chuckled. Chloe was incensed. “What? You think this is all a joke?”

“I wanted to get a feel for how you work, Decker,” Pierce answered. “Since you insist on continuing to work with Lucifer, I thought some positive reinforcement would get him to calm down a bit. And the only reason I rode along was so that I could see my best detective in action firsthand.”

Chloe turned to face him. “You think I’m your best detective?” she asked. She didn’t feel like what he was saying added up, but before she could unpack it, Pierce’s face changed.

“Decker, gun!” he exclaimed, shoving her out of the way. There was an explosion of sound and he went down with a grunt of pain. Chloe hit the dirt hard and rolled toward cover, pulling out her weapon. _Some detective,_ she thought fleetingly, _doesn’t notice the guy on the porch with the shotgun._ Shots rang out in rapid succession, sparks flying around her as she tried to scramble into position, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to get to her feet in time to return fire. She heard the click as the shooter’s gun ran out of ammunition and twisted toward the sound, returning fire as best she could while lying on the ground. Blackcrow ducked back inside the house.

Chloe struggled to stand, reloading her gun in case he attacked again, all the while aware of Pierce bleeding out at her feet. Behind her, she heard a truck rev to life, and she spun in time to see Blackcrow flee the scene.

Out of immediate danger, she turned her attention to Pierce, who was gasping in pain from his gut wound. Resolutely pushing aside images of Lucifer shot and bleeding, she called it in.

“Unit 831, officer down. Officer down!”

* * *

 

Lucifer arrived as Pierce was getting wheeled away on a stretcher.

“Detective!” Lucifer was practically running, eyes wild, and Chloe forced herself not to go to him, grasping his hands as he approached to keep him from any more effusive displays.

“Lucifer, I’m okay. I’m fine. Look at me.” She emphasized her words with a squeeze, watching the panic recede from his demeanour.

“I’m fine,” Chloe repeated, seeing Lucifer’s gaze still roving her body from head to toe. “Not a scratch. Thanks to Pierce; he saved my life.”

Lucifer’s jaw clenched, and she knew it had been the wrong thing to say.

“Hey.” She touched his arm before stepping back. “ _I’m okay_. Nothing happened. Right now, we need to do our jobs. I’m going to ride along with Pierce to the hospital. You could come along, if you wanted?”

She almost hesitated to offer, knowing that they needed all hands on deck to catch Blackcrow, and Lucifer had the best shot at it, especially if he involved Maze. But she could tell that he needed the reassurance. It was obvious in the way Lucifer hesitated, clearly torn. But finally he blinked, forcing a brittle smile.

“Well, much as I’d love to babysit mister bleeding-out over there, it seems I have a bad guy to catch.” His eyes were flat black.

Chloe just nodded, relieved that she hadn’t had to ask it of him. “Okay. I’ll see you at Lux later. I love you,” she murmured, for his ears alone, and Lucifer nodded once, eyes suddenly bright. But Chloe couldn’t wait any longer - Pierce was in critical condition. She hurried off with a final smile that she hoped was reassuring.

It wasn’t until after the ambulance pulled away, and they were halfway to the hospital, that Chloe realized she’d just set Lucifer on a criminal who had taken pot shots at her without first specifying the condition she wanted said criminal to be in when he was found. But by then it was too late.

*

“So, my guardian angel,” Lucifer joked to Amenadiel as the elevator doors opened, “this calls for a celebration.” He went to the bar, grabbing two glasses. “I was lucky you turned up when you did - how did you find me, by the way?”

In truth, the last thing Lucifer wanted was to celebrate. After parting company with Chloe, he’d gone to see Carly Glantz about a favour; meanwhile Chloe’s life had been threatened. He’d truly been ready to kill Blackcrow for what he’d tried to do to Chloe, and on top of that, he hadn’t been able to show his true face as he did so. He hadn’t even finished his beating satisfactorily before Amenadiel had shown up. Had his Devil face not mysteriously vanished, he’d have reduced the human stain to a snivelling, urine-soaked wreck well before the cavalry arrived.

“Location service on one of your dating apps,” Amenadiel responded, and Lucifer huffed a laugh.

“Maybe luck had nothing to do with when I showed up, Luci,” Amenadiel said, always ready to ruin a moment. “Maybe Father wanted me there.”

Lucifer finished pouring, shaking his head. “You give Him way too much credit, brother.”

He was shaken by the thought that he was no longer in possession of the expression of his true self. He had no idea why it wasn’t working. He vacillated between assuming it had just been a fluke and being afraid to test that hypothesis, in case his Devil face was truly gone. He wasn’t sure what he would do, if it was.

So instead, he pretended. Put on a casual demeanour and thanked his brother for stopping him. Lucifer knew, once Chloe was in his arms again, and he knew she was safe, that he would be grateful for the intervention. Right now, he was grateful for a different reason. He chuckled again.

“What’s so funny?” Amenadiel asked, and yes, now turnabout was fair play. Time to pay Amenadiel back for the text messages he’d sent earlier that day.

“Oh nothing,” Lucifer said, stoppering the bottle. “It’s just... it took you walking a mile in my shoes to prove my point to me.” Regardless of how successful the exercise had actually been, he noted Amenadiel was back in his habitual hoodie and jeans.

“Okay, and what point is that?” His brother took a sip, clearly just humouring him.

“That I haven’t changed,” Lucifer said, despite all evidence to the contrary. “Wings, no wings, unable to show my true face - it doesn’t matter.” Though it pained him to say the words, they were the truth. “I’m exactly who I always was. A punisher. And for reminding me of that, I salute you.” He hoped Chloe would arrive soon so he would have an excuse to get rid of Amenadiel. He needed to see her.

“Well, that’s very kind of you,” Amenadiel said, and Lucifer could hear the _but_ coming. His brother never was one to leave well enough alone. “But you see, I don’t think it was the human that you were trying to punish today.”

“Well who else would I be trying to punish?” His brother was truly baffling at times.

“Yourself, Luci,” Amenadiel responded gently. Lucifer froze. “For not being there for Chloe when she was in danger. Because you love her.”

Lucifer scoffed, forcing himself to walk away. For an angelic being, his brother clearly knew how to rub salt in a wound as well as any demon. The only reason Lucifer didn’t rise to the words was that he didn’t particularly fancy having Chloe show up to a wrecked penthouse. He did love Chloe, but that assertion was sullied in Amenadiel’s mouth.

Amenadiel was undaunted by Lucifer’s standoffishness. “And if that’s the case,” he continued, “then you truly have changed from the old Lord of Hell.”

Lucifer rested his drink on the piano, glaring at his brother’s back. What did his brother know of the “old Lord of Hell”? Everyone thought they knew what that meant. From his Parents and siblings down to each of these pathetic humans.

“But that’s good, Luci. That’s so good.” The sermon continued as Lucifer shrugged out of his jacket, sitting at the piano. His brother approached, hands spread, despite the _stay away_ vibe Lucifer was trying to project on all frequencies, but Lucifer would not humiliate himself by retreating further. “Because I’ve finally figured out how you are my test. You see, Father just wants me to be there for you. To have your back. Now that you’re evolving.”

With a careless gesture, Amenadiel went back to his drink.

Lucifer seethed. He knew then that he would never again allow his brother to “have his back” under any circumstances. He was not a vessel for anyone’s redemption, to be praised and then dismissed, like a dog. He felt no desire to help his brother claim the moral high ground, after everything Amenadiel had done.

Lucifer’s mouth twisted. He set his fingers to the keys to play but found himself unable to seek the solace music usually provided. He could only stare at his brother’s form, so bloody proud of himself. He could all too easily imagine his brother’s smug expression. It must all seem so clear to him - the prodigal son, returned to the fold, and he, the benevolent elder brother who, in making that redemption possible, also ensured his own.

Fine, then. If Amenadiel was so certain he knew who the “Lord of Hell” truly was, the least Lucifer could do was grant him a taste.

“There was this soul I used to torture, back in Hell,” he began. At the word _torture_ , he watched his brother’s spine stiffen, and Lucifer leaned his elbows on top of the piano, settling into his tale. “And like any good masochist, he called the shots. _Burn me, freeze me, hurt me_. So, I did.” He was a fulfiller of desires, after all.

Lucifer drew a deep breath. It cost him to talk about his time in Hell, but the play of emotions across Amenadiel’s face as he fought for composure made the effort well worth it.

“And this went on for centuries. Until one day, for some reason, he missed his daily punishment.” Lucifer hadn’t noticed. There were so very many souls, and their ranks grew by the hour. “And when I returned, he was crying.” He had Amenadiel’s rapt attention now. He’d never spoken about this before. There was no need to speak of it to Maze - she’d been there. Linda got a watered-down, euphemistic version when absolutely necessary. “‘Please, my King,’ he said. ‘Don’t ever forget me again. I promise I’ll be good.’” He laughed a little. It was what passed for a joke, back in Hell.

“It was then that I realized that he was so full of self-loathing, void of any self-respect, that no matter the depth of my cruelty, whatever miniscule attention I paid gave meaning to his pointless existence.” He halted, waiting, as Amenadiel gathered enough aplomb to speak.

“Why are you telling me this?” his brother asked, perfectly on cue. _Because you think you understand who I am and what I do, but you haven’t the first idea_ , Lucifer could have said. Instead, he sneered up at him, delivering the final blow.

“Because he reminds me of you.”

Watching the words strike Amenadiel, the slight quiver in his stoic demeanour, gave him a joyous rush of satisfaction. Time to drive the blade home. “You think _I’ve_ changed?” He rose from the piano, advancing on his brother, keeping his wings from erupting from his back in a dominance display by sheer force of will. He would do this on _his_ terms. No one else’s. “ _You?_ The former angel, powerless and pathetic, a disgraced failure with no better way to spend your days yipping at my heels for scraps to remind you of a time when you once mattered?”

His voice rose in his fury, and for once, he let it, throwing the words like barbs at Amenadiel, who stood still and silent under his tirade. _This_ was how you poked at a wound. _This_ was vindication. He stood by his words, triumphant, as his brother’s face crumpled. _How’s_ that _for “evolution”?_

“I know what you’re doing,” Amenadiel said at last, halting Lucifer’s victorious exultation in its tracks. He stared in blatant disbelief as his brother just _accepted_ everything he’d said. “And you can kill the messenger if you must. Just know that I am here for you.”

With that, Amenadiel turned and left, depriving Lucifer of the fight he so desperately desired.

Once he was alone, Lucifer drained his tumbler with shaking hands. He caught sight of his face in the mirror, still smooth and angelic, and hurled his glass with a cry, unable to take it any longer, needing an outlet for the violence that shivered through his limbs.

He stared at his fractured reflection, his devil form refusing to appear no matter how many times he called upon it, taunting him with the relic of his past. _Samael_.

The name he abjured ran rampant through his mind, echoing down the ages since he’d last used it. He’d never been able to escape it.

That is, until a tentative, unexpected voice broke into his dark thoughts.

“...Lucifer?”


	13. I don't deserve you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is taken from the song "I don't deserve you" by Plumb

Chloe left the hospital as soon as she could and made her way straight to Lux as promised. Her phone’s battery was dead so she couldn’t text Lucifer, but she’d already told him she would come. She monitored the APB for Blackcrow in her cruiser, and when she heard he’d turned up half-beaten and hogtied in Malibu, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

When she arrived at the penthouse, Lucifer wasn’t there yet. She poured herself a drink, settling in to wait. It had been a hell of a day, she’d been up all night, and she was exhausted. She sat on the couch in the living room but before too long the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, the openness of the space, began to encroach upon her. It all started to hit her at once, the thought that she’d been shot at and had only escaped due to Pierce’s intervention making her feel exposed in the empty room.

Before she could think too much about it, she moved into the bedroom, which now brought her feelings of safety. She eyed the bed, but knew if she got into it that the luxurious silken sheets would put her to sleep immediately, and she wanted to be awake when Lucifer arrived. She curled up in the chair at the foot of the bed instead. She managed to finish her drink, but despite her best efforts, sleep claimed her within minutes.

Lucifer and Amenadiel’s voices wove themselves into restless dreams. Amenadiel, wearing the fake wings from the auction, scribbled studiously away in an exam hall as Lucifer presided, sitting on the throne from Dean Cooper’s mansion, his head crowned with thorns. The masochist, bafflingly, was Pierce. Maze knelt beside Lucifer, and she called him _my King._

The words sent a jolt of some unidentifiable emotion shooting through Chloe, and she stirred. She didn't come fully awake, instead drifting in the odd half state between sleep and wakefulness, as Lucifer’s rant filtered through her consciousness. She'd never heard him so angry, so hurt, and she pushed herself to shake off the remnants of sleep and go to him. A crash of glass made her jump as she struggled to her feet, making her wary as she peered around the corner.

“...Lucifer?”

He whirled to face her, but instead of the unguarded Devil she'd come to expect when she caught him like this, all she saw was a man - one who was so very lost.

“Chloe…” Her name was a breath of air. She approached carefully, wanting to hold him but knowing he still needed his space. He swallowed, seeming to struggle with himself for a moment.

“My face,” he said at last, something still and desolate in his tone. “My face is gone.”

“ _What?_ ” Chloe gasped, even though in some part of her she already knew what he was referring to. “What are you talking about?”

“My _face,”_ he said, his fists and jaw clenched. “My Devil face, He took it from me. It's not working.”

Chloe had no idea of how to respond. It was too soon for her to process how she felt about the news; all she knew was Lucifer needed her. She approached him slowly, holding out her hands, showing that she wasn’t going to touch him - she could sense that if she did he would snap.

“Lucifer, I’m sorry,” she said. Lucifer made a strangled sound that was half sob, half scoff. “What do you need?”

He inhaled sharply, shaking his head, and Chloe wondered if anyone had ever asked him that before. Chloe lowered her hands.

“Do you want me to leave?” she asked, and his gaze flicked to hers.

“No! No, I just…” He huffed in frustration, hands clenching and unclenching, and Chloe felt a brief surge of anger at the Beings who were supposed to have protected him, who had instead left him unable to express his own desires.

“Okay, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just hang out over there, and when you’re ready to talk, come find me.” She smiled to show she wasn’t upset.

Lucifer nodded, but as she started to move towards the library, she felt his arms snake unexpectedly around her waist, holding her against him tightly enough that it was a little hard to breathe.

“I almost lost you today,” he murmured next to her ear, and Chloe made a low sound, turning in his arms.

“You didn’t,” she reminded him. “We all did what we needed to do. Pierce is going to be fine.”

His breath tickled her hair. “I don’t care about Pierce. I should’ve been there.”

Chloe held him tight. “Lucifer, you don’t have to protect me,” she said. “Pierce was just doing what any good lieutenant would. You followed the plan, and everyone’s okay. Don’t dwell on it.”

“I… I can’t lose you,” he whispered, sounding mortified by the admission, but when she pulled back to look at him his expression was resolute.

“I know,” she said thickly, wishing that she could promise he never would. “I know.”

She pressed a chaste kiss to the patch of skin exposed at his throat. He shivered.

“Take your time,” she said. “I won’t be far.” She gave him a final squeeze before departing for the library.

For a while, she perused the shelves, in awe of all the priceless volumes lined up like dime store paperbacks. Chloe was far from a connoisseur, but it didn’t take a scholar to feel small in the presence of Shakespeare, Hemingway, Twain, Austen - likely dedicated in their original handwriting - and those were just the ones she recognized. She bit her lip, surveying the collection. She really ought to have a word with Lucifer about letting a museum or something have a look. It didn’t seem fair to have all this knowledge just sitting here.

Gingerly, she selected a volume at random - Jules Verne’s _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_. The dedication inside the cover read “ _Merci pour l’inspiration, mon ami. Quelle imagination_!” Chloe snorted softly. She didn’t have to know French to figure that one out.

She grabbed the next book she found that was in English: Oscar Wilde’s _Picture of Dorian Gray_ , also with an inscription, alluding to a “beautiful discovery” and an intense affair. She shook her head and settled in to read, though her attention kept drifting to what was going on in the main room. Mostly it seemed to be a lot of drinking, though she smelled cigarettes at one point and had no trouble imagining Lucifer smoking broodily on the balcony.

She couldn’t get her dream out of her head. She knew that Lucifer considered himself retired and that she should absolutely _not_ find the idea of people calling him “my King” as hot as she did. She couldn’t remember much more, aside from the fact that Lucifer had gone off on Amenadiel, which from the sound of things had been a long time coming, regardless of her personal feelings on the matter.

It was Lucifer’s story about the damned soul that really stuck with her. She’d told herself (and Lucifer) that she was willing to listen to any stories that Lucifer might want to tell about his time in Hell, and this was a test. She couldn’t reconcile the idea of Lucifer her partner, who’d gotten high on marijuana and sat around the precinct dunking chips in Nutella, with Lucifer the Lord of Hell. Then she thought about the way he’d spoken to Maze when she’d come back to the apartment. The moment she’d found him on the rooftop of the foundry after Renny had jumped to his death just to get away from him. “ _I couldn’t stop him_.” She understood a bit better, then. 

“ _He called the shots. Burn me, freeze me, hurt me. So I did.”_

The matter of fact way he’d spoken chilled her, but not for the reasons one might expect. Lucifer was a fulfiller of desires, after all. No one ever considered what it cost him to do so.

A part of Chloe realized this might be the only glimpse she received into Lucifer’s other life; if so, she was grateful to have gotten it. 

Eventually she heard the piano start up, but Lucifer never seemed to settle on any specific melody, drifting aimlessly from key to key. She didn’t register the silence when it first settled, but at the feeling of someone watching her, she looked up to find Lucifer hesitating in the entryway.

“Lucifer! Hey.” She put the book aside, standing and stretching, her body taking the opportunity to remind her how little sleep she’d given it recently. “You feeling up to talking?”

He nodded, moving further into the room, but remained silent as he sat on the couch. Chloe didn’t push, sitting next to him and waiting for him to speak. His gaze flicked sideways to her like he was debating with himself, but finally he spoke, tongue darting out to moisten his lips.

“I suppose this is a relief for you, isn’t it?” he said.

Chloe blinked. That hadn’t been what she was expecting him to say. She took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh.

“I don’t know how I feel,” she said honestly. Lucifer’s dark eyes watched her intently. “I only saw it the once…” She paused. “Well. Twice, I guess. Right? The warehouse, with Lindsay?” Her hand went to the bullet necklace resting under her shirt.

Lucifer nodded. Chloe lowered her hand to rest on top of his. “But no, I’m not relieved,” she said. “It’s a part of you.” 

Lucifer looked away. 

“How long has it been gone?” Chloe hesitated before asking, but her investigative side was finally making an appearance. “Do you think it has something to do with your wings?” Lucifer’s jaw clenched.

“It’s possible,” he allowed. “Why do you ask?”

“I never really thought about it before, but when you came back from the desert, your burns... They corresponded with the worst scarring.” She touched the side of his throat gently.

It killed her to talk about Lucifer that way, and she called on all of her professional detachment just to make it through the sentence. Lucifer stared at her, clearly dumbfounded, and Chloe wasn’t sure if he was more surprised at the connection or that she even remembered what she’d seen. But both images were branded onto her memory; even though she’d only seen his other face for a few seconds, it wasn’t the kind of thing you forgot.

“When you were out in the desert, I certainly wasn’t anywhere nearby,” she explained. “What if those burns weren’t caused by the sun, but were actually you _healing_?”

Lucifer blinked, but she could see him starting to work through the problem, which Chloe found infinitely preferable to the brooding alternative.

“I suppose it makes sense,” he said slowly. “Bloody figures.” His expression darkened again. “Wasn’t enough for Dad to stick my wings back on, He had to take my face as well.”

“But it’s not important how I feel,” Chloe said, hoping to keep the conversation moving forward. “How do _you_ feel?”

Lucifer looked at her. “Playing at being Doctor Linda?” he asked tauntingly, but Chloe refused to rise to the bait.

“You don’t have to tell me,” she said. “You can talk to her about it if you’d rather. I just want to understand.”

Lucifer nodded silently, not in a way that suggested he was refusing to answer; but rather like he was considering what he wanted to say.

“I feel… _violated_ ,” he said at last. Chloe squeezed his hand. “Dad thinks He can just _remake_ me whenever He feels like it, hm?” He cast his gaze to the ceiling. “Make me _better_?” His voice dripped bitterness. “My scars, my face…” He made a sound of frustration as he sought for the words to explain. “They were my _choice_.” He laughed harshly. “That was the whole bloody point, wasn’t it? I _chose_. I _earned_ them. And now He’s taking that away from me. Again.”

He stood, pacing, unable to remain still. Chloe watched worriedly.

“But…” she stopped, surprised to hear her voice. Lucifer did too. “Why _now_?” she continued. Lucifer made a face. He clearly didn’t have an answer.

“No idea. Dad’s always had an _interesting_ sense of timing,” he said, before another thought occurred to him. “It seems the last time I used my true form was in order to show you.” He hummed slightly. “There’s a certain symmetry to that. I suppose I should be grateful that it happened after I showed you, not before - can you imagine?”

Chloe smiled slightly at how indignant he sounded. “Well, there’s always your wings,” she suggested. “I’d still have believed you.” _Not to mention it might have been somewhat less traumatic_ , she thought. But Lucifer was shaking his head.

“I still would have shown you,” he told her. “I am a Devil of my word, as you know. But the wings… they aren’t _me_. They don’t represent who I am. I am not an angel. I haven’t been for quite some time. I would have hesitated to reveal myself as such, even temporarily. It wouldn’t have felt right.”

Chloe nodded, dismissing such hypotheticals. “I understand. Lucifer…” She hesitated. She’d thought about this a lot but still wasn’t sure how to put it into words, or if she even wanted to. But she couldn’t think of a better time. Lucifer looked at her, sensing her change in tone.

“Yes?” he asked warily.

“Listen,” she said, willing herself not to lose her nerve. “All that stuff about choice, and what you said before about not feeling like yourself, your Dad making you someone you’re not…” She sighed. “I should have listened to you. I told myself that asking you not to cut your wings off was for your sake, but really, it was for me. I was selfish. _I_ didn’t want to think about it, so I just ignored what you wanted.” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet Lucifer’s eyes, which were very wide. “That was wrong. It’s your body, and _your_ choice, Lucifer. I don’t have any more right to take that away from you than your Dad has.”

She rose, moving closer to Lucifer, who was frozen in place. “But I want you to know, that you’ll always be Lucifer to me. No matter what. You’re still my partner, wings or no wings. I value _you_. Your insight, the way you make me laugh. Not just the way you can use your face to scare the shit out of bad guys. You’re more than your face, or your wings.”

“It’s easy to let external factors define us,” Lucifer mused. “But only if we let them.”

Chloe nodded. “Exactly,” she said. It sounded like something Linda might have said. She stepped closer, putting a hand on his arm. “I want you to know that I’ll support you, whatever you decide to do. Just so long as you do it as safely as possible. I’m not exactly happy about it, but it’s important to you. I know now that you’re not taking it lightly. I’m here for you.”

Lucifer drew in a shaking breath. “Thank you, Det- Chloe.” He corrected himself, solemnly holding her eyes. “In return, I swear not to make any permanent decision without your knowledge.” He smiled a little. “But seeing as we’re on the subject of my wings…” Chloe barely had a chance to notice he’d said _my_ for what she believed was the first time before he stepped back, bringing them into being with a great rush of air.

She stared at them, biting the inside of her cheek as her new resolve was tested. They were so beautiful. She couldn’t bear the thought of them being destroyed. 

“When I was talking to Doctor Linda the other day I realized something else,” he said, folding the wings behind him with a slightly self-conscious air. Chloe couldn’t stop staring at them, the way they shimmered in the mid-morning sun, and she had to keep dragging her eyes back to his face. “What matters is how I use the wings. You helped me to see that.”

Chloe blushed faintly under his regard, feeling a tentative sense of hope. It certainly didn’t sound like he was about to turn around and cut them off.

“With that in mind…” Lucifer drew his arm across his body, plucking one of the smaller, fluffy feathers near his shoulders with a tiny wince and holding it out to her. Chloe blinked.

“Take it,” he urged, when she still hesitated. She reached out and carefully took it from his hand, holding the tiny feather like it was made of spun glass. It was softer than anything she’d ever touched, such that her brain almost couldn’t process that she was holding anything at all. It exuded faint warmth, seemingly of its own accord. Chloe wondered if she was just imagining the fact that her entire body suddenly felt lighter, more carefree.

“Lucifer…” She couldn’t make her voice go above a whisper, unable to quite believe that she was _holding an angel feather_. Lucifer didn’t seem unaffected either, as he swallowed before speaking, never looking away from the spot of white in her hand.

“After what almost happened at the ranch, I can’t think of a better use than this,” he said quietly. “That feather will let me find you, no matter where you are. You can also use it to heal any wound, no matter how severe. I’d like you to keep it with you at all times. You can put it in a necklace, or a pouch, anything of that nature. Just so long as you don’t let anyone else see it - non-miracles tend to become a tad unhinged when they’re exposed to divinity.”

“Lucifer… thank you.” Words seemed inadequate. Chloe pushed down her awe at the power she was holding in the palm of her hand, thinking. “What if I put it with my cop badge?” she asked.

Lucifer smiled. “Perfect.”

Chloe slipped it into the badge holder that she was still wearing on her belt, having forgotten she was still wearing it before she’d fallen asleep.

“There,” she said. Now he was part of her shield.

Lucifer’s eyes were burning with emotion as he watched her. Chloe still couldn’t keep her eyes off the wings. He hadn’t put them away immediately, and she pressed her lips together on the question she wanted to ask. It was hard to shake the thought that this might be her best chance, and she was speaking before she realized it.

“Lucifer. Can I… can I touch your wings?”

Lucifer’s breath stuttered, and he froze. Chloe froze too, hoping she hadn’t crossed a line. Was it some kind of taboo to ask? Had she pushed too much too soon?

At last he nodded jerkily, and Chloe let out the breath she’d been holding, feeling lightheaded. Now that it came to it, she had no idea what she’d been thinking. Touching divinity with her mortal hands felt like sacrilege, even to someone who wasn’t religious. But she felt like his permission was a precious gift and didn’t want to waste it.

She brushed suddenly sweaty palms on her jeans, taking reassurance in the fact that Lucifer seemed at least as nervous as she was. Remembering how careful and solicitous he was when they made love, she made herself ask.

“Okay.” She cleared her throat. “How do I… I mean, is there anything I shouldn’t touch?”

“I… don’t know,” Lucifer answered, sounding surprised. “I’ll… er. I’ll let you know.”

“Right.” Chloe nodded, stepping closer. Where before the feathers had been smooth and majestic, now they were puffed up nervously. She had no idea where to start. With a trembling hand, she reached out and brushed the top ridge, thinking it would be a safe place.

Lucifer jerked as though stung, pulling away. Chloe’s heart plummeted.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” she said, clasping her hands together behind her back. “Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to-”

“No, it’s all right,” Lucifer assured her, sounding like he was speaking through gravel. “It’s just… been a long time.” Chloe realized that she was most likely also the first person ever to touch this pair. Heat fizzed through her.

“Here.” Lucifer extended one wing to her, slowly, pinions spread like a fan.

With even greater care than before, Chloe touched the proffered feathers. Lucifer shivered, full body, but didn’t pull away this time. She glanced at him for reassurance and found his eyes closed in pained rapture.

“Okay?” she whispered, and he nodded once. The feathers under her hand were more encouraging, shifting subtly, and she stroked them, gentle as she’d been with newborn Trixie, marvelling that these feathers which were nearly the width of her hand should seem so delicate.

Lucifer was panting, short, harsh breaths in and out of his nose, and Chloe was about to suggest that they stop, if it was bothering him so much, when there was a sudden nudge from behind her. That was all the warning she got before Lucifer’s other wing curled around her, clearly desiring equal attention.

“Whoa,” Chloe breathed, more awed than startled, and Lucifer cracked an eye open.

“Sorry,” he said indistinctly. “They have a mind of their own sometimes.” He looked annoyed. “Bloody things.”

Smiling, Chloe transferred her ministrations to the other wing, not at all displeased. It felt warm and soft, like being wrapped in a blanket spun from a cloud. Lucifer gave a light shiver but otherwise seemed to be settling in a little more. Chloe gauged his reactions carefully, needing them as a distraction to keep from having her mind blown by the fact that she was _petting angel wings_. 

“Does it hurt?” She felt the need to ask, because Lucifer’s expression still looked more pained than not.

“Not… exactly?” Lucifer sounded as though it was an effort to speak. “I’d forgotten just how _sensitive_ they are.” He swallowed. “More so, since they’re new. It’s… overwhelming.”

 _Sensitive…_ Chloe filed that thought away for later before focussing on the here and now.

“You’re still wearing your shirt,” she realized. Because of course _that_ would be what she noticed, standing there with divinity at her fingers, glowing in the sunlight.

“Hmm?” Lucifer hummed, sounding somehow deeper, more resonant.

“How does that work?” she asked in a soothing tone, hoping to keep him relaxed and diverted, still keeping up the rhythmic movement of her fingers.

“They don’t _exist_ …” he said, sounding fuzzy at the edges, which Chloe found to be a vast improvement. He frowned, apparently struggling to find words to explain. Chloe switched back to the other wing again, and he let out a shuddering sigh, the tense set of his shoulders relaxing infinitesimally. “On this plane,” he continued, and she remembered she’d asked a question. “Two things can exist in the same space.”

She didn’t really understand, but that wasn’t the point. She kept stroking, thinking that this was dangerous, because she could never tire of the otherworldly feeling, the way the feathers were so _responsive_ , almost petting her back, because they were, after all, ever so slightly _alive_. She could happily do this all day, every day, and nothing else. She gave a noncommital hum in response, already wondering how much further he’d let her go. The rest of his feathers were trembling, apparently impatient.

“While I do appreciate it, darling…” Lucifer’s voice was a low rumble, and Chloe forced down a bout of disappointment that he was about to ask her to stop. “You don’t have to treat them quite so gingerly.” Chloe glanced at him. _You’re the one who could hardly stand for me to touch them a minute ago_. She didn’t call him on it though, hearing the longing creep into his tone and knowing something had awakened. “Those are weapons, after all.”

Chloe stifled a laugh. It wasn’t that she disbelieved him, but the disconnect between his words the softness of the feathers flowing through her fingertips gave her the unbidden mental image of Lucifer flurry-slapping his enemies into submission.

Lucifer merely arched a brow. “Mind your fingers, love, or you’re like to slice them off,” he said mildly, and Chloe pulled her hands away, more from the surprise of what he’d said than the warning itself. He’d never called her that before.

A moment later, the feathers she’d just been petting _changed_. She could sense the difference even from where she was standing, a subtle sheen to the edges that hadn’t been there before. She stretched out a cautious finger, stroking down the very centre of one, finding it hard and unyielding where before it had been fluid as water. 

She swallowed. “Gotcha,” she said. There was still so much she had to learn.

Lucifer let out a breath, and the feathers resumed their former state. Chloe watched him carefully, unsure if she was about to call his bluff. She let her fingers drift through the rows of feathers, into the middle of the wing. Lucifer shivered, inhaling sharply, but neither he nor the wings did anything to stop her. Emboldened, she reached up to stroke the ridge the way she’d wanted to before, and watched with astonished delight as the wing stretched to follow her touch, like a cat’s tail. When she tried the same thing on the other side, Lucifer let out a low groan, pulling her into his arms.

“Do you want me to stop?” Chloe asked. He still hadn’t put his wings away, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Lucifer shook his head against her neck and Chloe needed no further encouragement, sinking her fingers into the feathers at Lucifer’s shoulders. Lucifer moaned, his wings coming around behind her back to hold her as carefully as Lucifer himself was, and suddenly there were tears streaming from her eyes. Chloe didn’t try to stop them. She’d never felt so light, so warm, so safe and protected. She was being embraced by angel wings, and in their bubble, nothing else existed.

Thinking about the road that had led them to this moment, and hoping that she made him feel at least a fraction of how loved and cherished he always made her feel, she carded her hands into his feathers, finding the hot skin beneath. Lucifer shook in her arms, breathing wetly against her skin, and then there were words spilling out of her too.

“Lucifer, I love you,” she told him fiercely, as his wings trembled around them. “I want to be with you, okay? I’m all in. You’re not going to lose me, not if I have anything to say about it.” Lucifer was practically leaning on her now, making tiny sounds with every exhale, and Chloe was almost as overcome - but just because it was the effect of a long, emotional day didn’t make her words any less true.

“You don’t have to believe me,” she said, a bit more calmly, once the storm of emotions had quieted somewhat. “Just give me a chance to prove it to you.”

Lucifer nodded into her shoulder, and with a rush of relief Chloe had to kiss him. Then he was kissing her back, and his wings were tightening around them, and it seemed to Chloe like each individual feather was singing in the light.

It became too much for Lucifer after a few more moments, and with a sigh, he folded his wings away. Chloe made a low sound, feeling bereaved at the loss, but Lucifer was looking at her like she was something unspeakably rare and precious.

“I don't deserve you,” he said. 

Chloe willed herself not to start crying again. “I'm the one who gets to decide that,” she informed him. “And guess what?” In lieu of answering, she kissed him again, nipping at his top lip that always tempted her so. Lucifer rocked against her with a gasp, gripping her close like he was still afraid she might disappear. Chloe held him through it, moving her hands from his shoulders to his waist, hoping her touch would help bring him down gently. She let Lucifer take what he needed from her, withholding nothing, and gradually their kisses slowed into something almost chaste.

Chloe hummed against his lips, carding her fingers through his hair the way she’d recently run them through his feathers. “How are you feeling?” she murmured.

Lucifer let out a long breath. “Exhausted,” he admitted.

Chloe laughed. “Me too,” she said. “Want to take a nap? I have to pick Trixie up from school later.”

Lucifer gave her a look, like he wasn’t sure if she was having him on. She supposed this was one of his “domestic” lines he’d never crossed.

“Unless you have something better to do?” she teased, and Lucifer gave her a leering once over in response but she could tell he wasn’t serious. She pushed a little at his arms.

“Come on, Satan,” she said, pulling him in the direction of the bedroom. “Isn’t sloth supposed to be something you’re a fan of?”

He snorted and followed her, watching in apparent curiosity as she shimmied out of her jeans and climbed into his bed. She could already feel sleep pulling her down into the silken sheets. The softness reminded her of the wings. Slowly, like he’d never done it before, Lucifer removed his slacks, vest, and cufflinks before she finally felt his weight dip the bed beside her.

“That’s it,” she murmured sleepily, settling with a heavy sigh against his body as Lucifer pulled her into his side. “Mm. This is nice.”

Adrift in the sun-drenched moment, Chloe was dreaming long before she fell asleep. Just on the edge of consciousness she thought she heard Lucifer say something in the chiming syllables of his native tongue. It didn’t sound the same as before; quiet, drifting words, shimmering like sun motes on black sheets.

“What’s that?” she asked, stirring slightly. Her tongue felt clumsy.

“It means… thank you,” Lucifer replied, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. Chloe suspected that wasn’t all it meant or he would have said it in English, but she was too relaxed and peaceful to pursue the matter further. She snuggled closer, pulling his hand up for a kiss. 

“Anytime,” she said honestly. Lucifer just squeezed her hand.

Being a cop had given Chloe a healthy sense of appreciation for these small, uncomplicated moments of joy. She recognized that they were being given a respite. She intended to enjoy it for as long as it lasted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the end of the story, but it is certainly not the end of the series! There are at least two more stories planned in this season rewrite. The next, White Days, is currently in production. I'm about two thirds of the way through. I've caught up to myself! That story will begin with the events of 3x05 "Welcome Back, Charlotte Richards" and continue with a bit of experimental reordering. 3x03 and 07 have been combined, "Chloe Does Lucifer" has been completely recontextualized, and I've put "The Last Heartbreak" in there too - so the changes continue to roll on! Please subscribe to the series if you want to be notified as soon as the next story is published! I just ask for your patience, as it will be a little while before it's completed - I like for the stories to be finished before I start posting so all that's left to do is send the chapters to my betas every week. Thank you for reading!


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